Tag: pilgrimage

Book Review: “The Colour of Sin” by Toni Mount

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The Colour of SinThe year is 1480 and King Edward IV sits firmly on the throne, yet the Lancasterian threat lurks in the shadow. Things have taken a drastic turn for Sebastian Foxley’s workshop and his family. It has been months since a fire destroyed the Foxley home and workshop, which also left his brother Jude injured. Seb has decided now would be the perfect time to go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury to pray at the shrine of St Thomas Becket. The pilgrimage had its perils on paper before even setting out on the road. What terrors await Seb and his monty crew of pilgrims and can they survive the trip? Toni Mount’s twelfth Sebastian Foxley Medieval Murder, “The Colour of Sin,” takes our hero on a journey beyond the streets of his beloved London into a wider world full of intrigue.

I would like to thank Toni Mount for sending me a copy of her latest novel. I have enjoyed the previous Sebastian Foxley novels that I have read, so when I heard about the latest novel, I knew I wanted to read it, even though I did not read the novel, “The Colour of Bone” before jumping into this one.

Mount begins her latest Foxley mystery in the middle of October 1480. The Foxley home is being rebuilt while Seb and Jude are not on cordial terms after the accident a few months ago. Seb has decided that now would be the appropriate time to do the one thing that he promised God he would do if Jude was able to recover; to go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury and pray for Jude at the shrine of St Thomas Becket. When Seb’s beloved Rose finds out about his scheme, she accompanies her husband and their two young children, Dickon and Julia. It was going to be a simple family pilgrimage, until Father Christian, known as Kit, tags along and helps with the children.

Like every good pilgrimage, you need a group of people to make it a success, so Seb, Rose, and Kit are joined by the guide Tanner, the Warenne twins Troilus and Tristan, and Mother Thorogood and her black cat. Seb thought that this pilgrimage would be sort of a vacation and would go as smoothly as it is written in his book. However, the journey is more treacherous than what Seb had planned as there are natural disasters, rogues, kidnappings, and plenty of plots. Even on the road, Sebastian Foxley must battle intrigue and murder plots while dealing with family drama and keeping the ones he cares for alive far from home.

This was yet another fun and intriguing medieval murder mystery that follows Sebastian Foxley and his ever-expanding household. There were so many different story strings, but Mount tied them up neatly in a bow with a dose of political intrigue, religious piety, and drama filled with love and anger. I found this a pleasurable read and I look forward to the next novel in this series. If you are a fan of the Sebastian Foxley Medieval Murder Mystery series, I would suggest you read the latest installment, “The Colour of Sin” by Toni Mount.

Book Review: “A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes” by Anthony Bale

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

A travel guide to the middle agesWhen we think about travel in the Middle Ages, we often think of wealthy nobles or those who went to war fighting in foreign lands. However, that is merely a misconception. Travel was open to everyone, from the wealthy, the poor, the pious pilgrims, and the merchants. Each group had their reasons for traveling to different countries. Still, they all wrote down their experiences to tell future generations about their encounters and encourage others to explore the world, both the known and unknown parts. Anthony Bale has compiled many of these accounts into one comprehensive book called, “A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes.”

I want to thank W. W. Norton & Company and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for a new element to study about the past, especially the Middle Ages. When I saw this title and the concept that it was going to explore beyond Europe, it intrigued me as I tend to focus on medieval Europe and I wanted to expand my knowledge of the medieval world as a whole.

Bale begins by giving his readers a bit of a foundation for understanding the travel guide genre’s origins, the directions as they were understood by those living in the medieval world, and how medieval Europeans understood the layout of the world through the mappae mundi. He also explains the origins of one of the first globes, the Behaim Globe( also known as the Erdapfel), which was created by Martin Behaim who came from a family of merchants.

Every good travel saga needs a starting point and this one happens to begin in England where pilgrims set out for a journey to Rome and Jerusalem. Along the way, Bale introduces his readers to the main cities of Europe, sites of pilgrimage, dangerous passes, and tips like how to understand foreign languages and exchange rates between the different currencies. Once we reach Italy and later Jerusalem, our focus moves away from pilgrimage to exploration and trade. Bale tends to focus on testimonies from pilgrims, merchants, and diplomats to paint a picture of the Western world heading to the East, as far as Japan (Cipangu) and Ethiopia in Africa. He does show some Eastern travelers coming to the West towards the end, but I wish we could see more of those interactions and more female voices in this book.

Overall, I found this book informative and a fascinating read to see how people in the Middle Ages saw the world around them. There were some dry spots along the way, but I think for those who want an introductory book to how medieval Europeans viewed the world through their travels, it would be a great book. If this sounds like you, check out, “A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes” by Anthony Bale.

Book Review: “Revelations” by Mary Sharratt

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews1 Comment

53968576._SY475_Margery Kempe, the only daughter of the mayor of Bishop’s Lynn, England has made a tough decision in 1413. She has decided to leave her home, her husband, and her fourteen children to go on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem as a way to honor her late father’s dying wishes. As she begins her journey, she meets the famous anchoress Julian of Norwich, who entrusts Margery with an important mission. She gives Margery her book Revelations of Divine Love and tells her to spread her message throughout the world in secret. Margery’s pilgrimage, her connection to Julian of Norwich, and the aftermath of her journey are intricately woven together in Mary Sharratt’s stunning novel, “Revelations”.

I would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. When I read the description of this novel, I was intrigued. I have heard the names Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich floating around in recent years, but I sadly knew nothing about their life stories. I hoped that this novel would shed some light on both women and why they are remembered in such high regard today.

Sharratt’s novel is based on the research of historians, such as Dr. Janina Ramirez, who have argued that Margery Kempe knew Julian of Norwich and that Julian gave Margery her precious book Revelations of Divine Love. Margery is no ordinary woman as she has visions that will guide her to the path in which she believes God has chosen for her.

We begin with Margery as a young maiden, who has no desire to marry the man that her family has told her to marry. Reluctantly, she does marry John Kempe and they have fourteen children together. It is during the birth of her fourteenth child, Margery almost dies and so she decided to make a vow of celibacy, which her husband reluctantly agrees to. It was not until her father’s death that Margery chooses to fulfill his dream for her, to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Since John chose not to go on pilgrimage with his wife, she decides to don the clothes of a bride of Christ, which means to dress all in white as a virgin.

Many believe that Margery’s visions, her sudden bursts of tears, and her choice to leave her family make her an evil woman. Except for Julian of Norwich, the famed anchoress, and someone who understood Margery’s struggles. Since Julian could not walk away from her duty as an anchoress to explore the world, she gave Margery the treacherous task of carrying her book throughout the world, giving it only those scholars who could be trusted with the knowledge of this scandalous text.

Margery’s journey to discover who she was meant to be is deep and riveting. It showed how even in the early 1400s, there was a struggle between different views of Christianity. From women accused of preaching in the streets to those accused of Lollardy, there was a real sense of danger and death for those who did not follow the status quo. Sharratt shows the dangers that a woman faced when she traveled on pilgrimage alone, but she also showed how deep Margery’s faith was and how willing she was to make sure that her message was heard. If I did have a small concern, it would be that I wish Sharratt delved into the writing of Margery Kempe’s autobiography, The Book of Margery Kempe.

As someone who has never read anything about Julian of Norwich or Margery Kempe, I found this novel enchanting. This was the first novel that I have read by Mary Sharratt and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a delightful escape into the past and the life of a friendship and a pilgrimage that would change the life of Margery Kempe forever. If this sounds intriguing to you, check out “Revelations” by Mary Sharratt.