Synopsis
A glowing first novel that brings us “historical fiction in the grand epic manner, beautifully felt and written”*
It is England, in the fourteenth century—a time of plague, political unrest and the earliest stirrings of the Reformation. The printing press had yet to be invented, and books were rare and costly, painstakingly lettered by hand and illuminated with exquisite paintings. Finn is a master illuminator who works not only for the Church but also, in secret, for John Wycliffe of Oxford, who professes the radical idea that the Bible should be translated into English for everyone to read. Finn has another secret as well, one that leads him into danger when he meets Lady Kathryn of Blackingham Manor, a widow struggling to protect her inheritance from the depredations of Church and Crown alike. Finn’s alliance with Lady Kathryn will take us to the heart of what
Barbara Tuchman once called “the calamitous fourteenth century.” Richly detailed and irresistibly compelling, The Illuminator is a glorious story of love, art, religion, and treachery at an extraordinary turning point in history.
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About the Author
BRENDA RICKMAN VANTREASE is a former English teacher and librarian who has traveled extensively in the British Isles. She holds a Ph.D. in English and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reviews
Simon Jones illuminates Vantrease's intricate tale of fourteenth-century England. A diverse group of characters, from religious revolutionaries to lowly serfs, is rendered believable. It is a time of peril, even for the highborn, and widowed Lady Kathryn is fighting to maintain her household despite the demands of king and Church. In order to obtain the protection of a local monastery, she accedes to a request that she provide lodging for Finn, a master illuminator, not knowing that this will bring passion and more danger into her life. This grand tale of power, love, and social change could only be done justice by a grand narrator, and Jones, one of AudioFile's Golden Voices, provides it. D.T.H. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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The Illuminator
Published by
Macmillan Audio, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., 2005
ISBN 10: 159397597X
ISBN 13: 9781593975975
Used
Seller: The Yard Sale Store, Narrowsburg, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
audio Book. Condition: Good. New in the shrink wrap. Brand-new. Eight audio cassette in the box published by audio Renaissance. Slight rip to the shrink wrap were publishers remainder Mark was applied over the bar code. New and gift quality. Seller Inventory # Audio8L50308011