Patrick - Softcover

Stephen Lawhead

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007148852 ISBN 13: 9780007148851

Publisher: Harpercollins Pb, 2004

Synopsis

Set in an era of brutal conflict and turmoil, this epic adventure is the first novel to tell the full story of the slave who became a saint, of the man who rose to the challenge of his time and changed the course of history. In the summer of 405AD, Irish raiders attack the western coast of Wales, carving a fiery swathe through the peaceful countryside. Among the survivors who are rounded up and taken back to Ireland is Succat: an impulsive sixteen-year-old son of a powerful Roman family. Succat is sold as a slave and put to work tending sheep. Repeated escape attempts lead to ever more brutal and savage beatings, until he comes to the attention of Cormac, a young novice druid. The two strike up an unlikely friendship and, as Succat learns the ways of the Irish people, he is given a new name by the druid: Patrick. With a new name begins Patrick's new life: he is married, and returns to his home to claim his inheritance, only to find his father's estate in ruins. So begins a calamitous journey that will lead him to Tours, see him join the Roman Legion as a soldier, suffer the the horrors of a plague-filled Rome; and thence back to Ireland, where he will embark on a mission for which his name will be remembered throughout history. In the spirit of Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian cycle, Patrick is a gritty and unsentimental portrait of one of the Western world's great icons, featuring an accurate and compelling rendering of the historical period -- an era full of brutal conflict, adventure, turmoil, and visionary inspiration.

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:

Born and raised in America, Lawhead moved to the UK, to Oxford, in order to research into Celtic legend and history. He now lives in Austria with his wife, writer Alice Slaikeu Lawhead, and their two sons, Ross and Drake.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpercollins Pb
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0007148852
• ISBN 13: 9780007148851
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464