Patrick: Son of Ireland - Softcover

Lawhead, Stephen R

Softcover

ISBN 10: 006001282X ISBN 13: 9780060012823

Publisher: HarperTorch, 2004

Synopsis

Slave, soldier, lover, hero, saint,—his life mirrored the cataclysmic world into which he was born. His memory will outlast the ages.

Born of a noble Welsh family, he is violently torn from his home by Irish raiders at age sixteen and sold as a slave to a brutal wilderness king. Rescued by the king's druids from almost certain death, he learns the arts of healing and song, and the mystical ways of a secretive order whose teachings tantalize with hints at a deeper wisdom. Yet young Succat Morgannwg cannot rest until he sheds the strangling yoke of slavery and returns to his homeland across the sea. He pursues his dream of freedom through horrific war and shattering tragedy—through great love and greater loss—from a dying, decimated Wales to the bloody battlefields of Gaul to the fading majesty of Rome. And in the twilight of a once-supreme empire, he is transformed yet again by divine hand and a passionate vision of "truth against the world," accepting the name that will one day become legend . . . Patricius!

About this title

From the Back Cover:

A magnificent historical novel about the early life of the man who would one day be known as St. Patrick

In the summer of the year AD 405, Irish raiders under the command of King Eochaid attack the western coast of Wales, setting fire to towns and farms, stealing cattle and grain, and carving a fiery swathe through the peaceful countryside. Many of those who survive the attack are rounded up and carried back to Ireland.

Among the survivors is a 16-year-old boy named Succat--the impulsive and willful young scion of a British noble family--who is sold in the slave market to a merciless ruler. When Succat is gravely punished after a foiled attempt to escape, he comes to the attention of Cormac, a novice Druid eager to practice his healing skills. Succat learns to respect the Druid's lore and love of learning and is given a new name, Patrick, the Celtic word for nobleman.

What follows is the story of Patrick's missing years--years of calamity, defeat, and crushing disappointment that form him into a bard and advisor to the High King of Ireland, and lead to the mission for which his name will be remembered throughout history.

About the Author:

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion. Lawhead makes his home in Austria with his wife.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperTorch
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 006001282X
• ISBN 13: 9780060012823
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 592