Gudrun's Tapestry, By Joan Schweighardt

Reviewed by Rocco Lo Bosco

Set in the fifth century crumbling Roman Empire, Gudrun's Tapestry consists of two perfectly interwoven and elegantly conceived stories: Gudrun's heroic quest to single handily bring down Attila The Hun and her life among her tribe prior to that dangerous adventure, a life poignant and beautiful, culminating in the kind of cathartic tragedy the Greeks would have envied. Disguised as Ildico, Gudrun enters the dark and terrifying city of Attila bearing a brilliant war sword that is cursed and brings misfortune to its owner. She offers the sword as a gift to Attila who we meet in terrible glimpses as if his evil is too complex and profound to take in all at once. In brilliant strokes Schweighardt paints a deeply psychotic character so chillingly rendered that we might think the author met him in person. Attila "rewards" Gudrun by sparing her life, imprisoning her in a guarded hut where she spends much her days recounting the past that has shaped her quest.

During this past she lived as a young women among her people, cleaving close to her family and caring for her mentally challenged younger brother. She was helplessly in love with Sigurd, a young warrior destined for greatness, and from the very first moment we see them together, it becomes apparent that theirs will be a love story for the ages. The tender and painful encounters they share, the complexity of their situation, and their loyalty to each other and their tribe draw the reader into an ancient but utterly believable world and infuses Gudrun and Sigurd with so much life, that their story will be remembered long after the book is put aside. It is during this time that a series of intriguing twists of events put the sword in Gudrun¹s possession, and she hatches her plan to destroy Attila.

In the city of this most notorious War Lord, Gudrun is befriended by Attila's second-in-command, Edeco, a member of her people and a tormented soldier who is torn between his fearful loyalty to Attila and his growing love for Gudrun. Though a prisoner under Attila's constant suspicion, she is made to serve in his hall and eventually picked to be one of his many wives. With events in Attila's city closing around her, with the past weighing so heavily in her mind and the fate of her people in her hands, with Edeco's afflicted affection for her in razor sharp tension with Attila's desire to make her his wife, Gudrun must negotiate her way through monstrous adversity to realize her task.

Within the two main stories that comprise the book, there are stories within stories that further color this time and its characters. This gives Gudrun's Tapestry an epic feel. Yet the book never loses its intimacy, its timeless relevance, and amazingly with all this embarrassment of riches, it accomplishes something further still: it gives the reader a deep sense of an older consciousness that was ordered by values vastly different then the ones we now honor. Furthermore, the narrative makes this ancient consciousness both believable and respectable. This is a brilliant feat, and it culminates in the tapestry Gudrun weaves, composed of pictures that tell her story and the story of her people, a tapestry by which she becomes one with her tribe and its history.

Powered by a plot riddled with intrigue and betrayal, peopled by characters of astonishing depth and color, and rendered in a melodic yet powerful voice, Gudrun's Tapestry is a work as literary as they come while still being a page turner capable of competing with the best of the pot boilers sitting in the racks of airport stores. If you like to read in the evening, then start this book on a Friday night, otherwise you¹ll go to work bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. When you finish it, all too quickly, you¹ll have that feeling of being deeply satisfied, yet still wishing there were more pages.

A Look at Some Historical Non-Fiction: The Kindertransport Story

One great benefit from reading historical fiction novels is learning about actual events, interesting stories that often are not generally known. Then, upon learning briefly about the event through an interesting novel, the full story introduced in the historical novel is just as compelling to read and learn about.
One such true-life story is the British "Kindertransport," in which some 10,000 refugee children from Nazi-controlled Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia were accepted into British homes in the months before World War II broke out. Bodie Thoene’s "Zion Covenant" series, books 5 and 6 (Danzig Passage and Warsaw Requiem), introduce this true event from 1939, complete with German children -- whose parents are on Hitler’s black list—fleeing to England with the transport ship that left Danzig, Poland.

Many non-fiction books have come out over the years, telling about the actual Kindertransport. One such book is Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, by Mark Jonathan Harris and Deborah Oppenheimer. A companion book to a documentary movie, this book includes the first-hand accounts of several of these refugee children, as well as adults involved in the logistical operation and one of the foster parents.

In chronological sequence, beginning with the "old days" of life under Hitler, through the dark days of persecution, then adjustment to their new homes, and finally the aftermath of the Holocaust, Into the Arms of Strangers shares short accounts from each individual. Subsequent chapters follow the next phase of life, with the continuing interviews of each child/adult.

For a while this sequence makes it hard to remember and differentiate each story, especially since the stories are not presented in the same order within the chapters. I found myself frequently turning the pages back to the previous chapter, to find the last installment from this person. Later on, each individual and his or her story are easier to remember – and the stories themselves are as varied and distinct as the people themselves. As with any refugee or foster care program, some stories turned out great, others more tragically.

The book also includes a nice introduction, telling the background situation in Europe that led to the kindertransport, including many statistics and classifications of the types of Jews in the three affected countries – Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. This introductory material brought back to mind the background story in Thoene’s "Zion Covenant" series: secular Jews in Germany, many of them intermarrying with non-Jews in the years before Hitler – and in conflict with the more orthodox Polish Jews, some of whom had moved from Poland to Germany (and then rounded up by Hitler in the fall of 1938); blonde and even red-head Jews who did not "look" Jewish; the terrifying riots of Kristallnacht; and the difficulties with paperwork, the many Jews frantically trying to find another country that would take them.

The closing chapter brings the book’s purpose full-circle, as author Deborah Oppenheimer describes her journey of discovery into her own (recently deceased) mother’s story as one of the kindertransport refugees--and how her research led her to meet the many survivors interviewed in the book.

Into the Arms of Strangers is a fascinating look at the true event that has since inspired historical fiction plots – and made all the more interesting with the greatly detailed, true accounts. The book sets forth the "smaller" good things that come out of the horrific events, even such as World War II and the Holocaust, and what a few individuals could and did do. As one foster parent quoted in the book says, he could not save a nation, could not help them all--but he could help one child. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Holocaust and these children of the kindertransport.

Hadassah: Biblical Fiction, Queen Esther's Memoir

Author Tommy Tenney brings a fascinating biblical story to life with his new novel, Hadassah: One Night With the King. This novel blends Bible history--the Old Testament story of Esther—with the historical setting of Ancient Persia, for a more detailed account of Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes and Haman, the major characters of the Bible story.

The book’s plot tie-in seems rather corny at first: a young woman in modern-day Israel brought into a secret room near the Dead Sea Scrolls, to read an ancient text kept within a family-line for thousands of years. The ancient text is written by none other than Queen Esther, her memoir to a young Jewish woman who finds herself a Queen-candidate, as Esther once had been.

The modern-day tie-in is kept to a minimum, though, and the story—mostly in first-person narrative, written to a specific person—soon begins. Hadassah starts out slowly, detailing Esther’s early life, but soon develops some interesting twists and character connections that become important later on. Even Haman has an interesting story, yet one perhaps not too far from the truth; as my study Bible notes, Bible scholars believe that Haman the Agagite may have been descended from the Amalekites, and specifically from King Agag.

Much of Hadassah’s story details life at the Persian Court, including her entry into the Queen-contest, the year of beauty treatments, and her developing relationship to God – always spelled without syllables (G-d and YHWH) in the style of the ancient Hebrews. The major events of the biblical story happen towards the end, for a climax that is well known yet exciting to read in detail, as the pieces fall into place and we enjoy anew Esther’s famous quote "If I Perish, I Perish."

The author presents an Esther not readily discernible from the pages of Scripture: one who comes to take her faith seriously even before becoming Queen, an Esther who did not enter the contest voluntarily. As with other Biblical fiction, several fictional characters are introduced, including Jesse, a lifelong friend; his mother Rachel; and head Eunuch, Hegai, who has charge of the Queen contestants.

The historical setting includes the basic life and culture of Ancient Persia – mainly the court life rather than that of the common folk. The capital, Susa, is impressive indeed, a place with seemingly endless riches as well as dangers and court intrigue. Hadassah also introduces actual Persian history with an account of the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), a kingdom at its peak that experienced great defeat against the rising Greeks. A fictional element—a description of Haman’s symbol, the "twisted cross" (clearly a description of Hitler’s swastika)—has its basis (though not mentioned in the story) in early crucifixions done by the Medes and Persians.

The one detracting element in Hadassah: One Night With the King is its theology, which seems out of place for an Old Testament, pre-Christian era. Certainly the understanding of a God who knows and suffers pain, and can be addressed affectionately as "Father," is a New Testament concept not revealed in earlier days. This was also a time when the Holy Spirit, God’s presence with the believer, was a rarity – several hundred years before the events of Pentecost.

The overall story, though, is quite intriguing: memorable from the Bible tale, yet new and different, with an exciting plot and interesting look at this period of ancient history. Hadassah: One Night With the King is a nice addition to the genre of Biblical Historical Fiction.

A Fragile Design: The Mill Girls of New England

A Fragile Design, by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller, continues the story of the "Mill Girls" of early 19^th century New England. The first story, Daughter of the Loom, took place in 1828 in Lowell, Massachusetts, site of several early textile mills. The second story takes place a few years later, in 1831, with Arabella Newberry as the new main character.

Arabella and her friend Daughtie flee their commune life with the Shakers in Canterbury, and soon arrive in Lowell and find work as "mill girls." Through Arabella’s life we learn much about the Shakers cult: a feminist belief system based on a religious notion (a God-head that has both father and mother); the repudiation of marriage and normal family roles – everyone is equal to each other, all brothers and sisters. The Shakers also practiced "dancing in the spirit," and took in charity cases such as abandoned, orphan children.

As with many of today’s historical novels, the main female character is decidedly feminist, and zealous for women’s equal rights (in this case, especially education and access to a library) – a notion seemingly befitting more modern times than women of the 1830s. Yet the Shaker background fits and explains Arabella’s more socially radical ideas better than many others of this genre. Arabella and John Farnsworth’s antagonistic nephew Taylor Manning provide most of the relational turmoil of this novel – though Taylor seems much less likeable than Matthew Cheever. Still, Arabella and Taylor’s differences (in worldviews) combined with their independent, fighting natures, provide great conflict and interest. Like many real-life young people, the two attracted characters fight like "cats and dogs" at times, but later realize their true feelings.

A Fragile Design has less commentary on the actual working conditions, with more focus on life in the community as a whole. Indeed, sometimes during the reading it seemed that the characters had plenty of free time on their hands. Certainly many of the characters – all except Arabella and Daughtie, and the other boarding girls (who are really in the background, minor characters) – don’t even work in the mills. The many subplots involving these other characters – including a new Irish stonemason, Liam Donohue, hired to build a new Catholic church – keep the overall story going.

Historical characters include Kirk Boott, again in interactions with Matthew Cheever and the community, though to a lesser extent than the first novel. Another minor, but historical, character is Reverend Edson, Boott’s appointed minister for the St. Anne’s Episcopal Church – another true part of this historical fiction story.

A Fragile Design stands mostly on its own, as a story that could be read without knowledge of its predecessor. Many of the characters, though, are familiar from the previous novel. Addie is still running the boardinghouse, still involved with John Farnsworth. Matthew and Lilly Cheever, the main characters from the first novel, are also prominent in the town – and now expecting their first child. The old villain William Thurston is back, to stir up new trouble in the Irish "Acre."

A Fragile Design successfully develops a new plot, and many subplots, yet manages to wrap all the loose ends from this and the previous book, for an exciting and page-turning story, with great mystery and suspense building towards the conclusion. So far, the "Bells of Lowell" series is a good read, with exciting stories amidst this turbulent historical era, pre-Civil War New England, and the many changes brought on by the industrial revolution. A third novel in the series, These Tangled Threads, has since been released, with more emphasis on Arabella’s friend Daughtie.

Back Roads to Bliss: The Canadian Frontier

Author Ruth Glover continues her "Saskatchewan Saga" series about Bliss, a small community in Saskatchewan, Canada (near Prince Albert), in the late 19th century, with the next installment -- Back Roads to Bliss.
It is the spring of 1898, when we meet the spirited young Allison Middleton, a spoiled wealthy British girl. She attempts to elope, is caught, and banished to Canada as a disobedient child who brought shame to her family.

The story immediately sweeps the reader into Allison’s adventures and intrigues, as we see her first scheming to elope with a "forbidden" young man, then rebellious and adventurous as she contemplates a new life in an unknown, exciting world. We sympathize with Allison as her world starts falling apart and she finds herself abandoned in a strange land. Yet throughout the story is the power and testimony of a loving God and His abundant provision and faithfulness.

The historical backdrop is rich with details, especially Gretna Green weddings (just over the border from England, in Scotland) and the "Remittance men." The story also shares the flavor of simple family and small town life, in a place named for that special state of soul and mind … "Bliss." The pioneer way of life is evident, too: railroad towns and the daily work and hardships of clearing out the "bush" country. At a time when the United States was mostly settled, much of Canadian land was still available for the taking – along with the hard work and harsh winter climate.

Back Roads to Bliss conveys the spirit of these true pioneers of the Canadian northwest, with a hometown familiarity of beloved characters who no doubt were featured in previous books in the "Bliss" series. We meet Molly Morrison and Parker Jones -- yet they are soon out of the picture, and the town-folk of Bliss adjust to life without their pastor. Back Roads to Bliss has its share of light moments, even humor, as shown through the idiosyncrasies of ordinary people.

The story reads as a stand-alone novel, introducing new and old characters in a flowing narrative and interesting story. Yet the ending begs for a sequel – what happens next for Allison, and the other characters of Bliss, Canada? Back Roads to Bliss is an excellent addition to historical fiction about the pioneering days of the Canadian West.