Simon the Coldheart by Georgette Heyer (1925)

 

Georgette Heyer was in her early twenties when Simon the Coldheart was published. She was a severe critic of her own work and this title was one of about five or six that she said she didn’t want to be republished. After Heyer’s death in 1974, her son decided that his mother had judged her work too harshly and the book was reprinted in 1977.

Simon Beauvallet is the fourteen-year-old illegitimate son of Geoffrey of Malvallet. His mother died when he was about ten and his father had never bothered with him.

As the book begins, Simon presents himself at Fulk of Montlice’s castle, his father’s enemy, with the desire to become his page. Alan of Montlice, Fulk’s son, was a little younger than Simon. He happens to meet Simon as he is intercepted by a guard when trying to enter the castle. Taking an instant liking to him, he leads Simon in to meet his father. Fulk is impressed by Simon’s attitude and makes him page to Alan. Fulk later made Simon his own page and swore that there was more of himself in Simon than in his own son.

Simon grew to manhood. He became firm friends with Alan and Simon’s older half-brother, Geoffrey, but there was always an icy reserve in his manner with everyone. His prowess in battle earns him knighthood and lands. He fights under Prince Henry, the future Henry V. By the time of the Battle of Agincourt, Simon has turned thirty and, 

‘He had power and wealth, a splendid body, fit for any hardship or endurance, a not unpleasing countenance, and a quick, cool brain. Yet something he seemed to lack, for with all his assets and attainments, he was as cold as stone, almost as though some humanizing part of him had been left out in his fashioning. There were those who said that a softer side of live and passion was not in him, but Henry the King, wiser than these, would point to some frolicking page in the Beauvallet green and russet when he heard this criticism.

‘What! Do ye think Beauvallet hath no tenderness within him? Fool, what of the children.?’

The critics were silenced then, for Simon’s love of children was well-known.’

Henry and Alan believed that there was something in Simon that would spring to life one day, but Geoffrey’s response was,

‘What manner of woman will it be before whom Simon will fall? How many fair maids hath he passed by? And now he is past thirty. He is not like to love. It is too late.’

Heyer’s last book written before she died was My Lord John which overlaps slightly with this book. Her first love was for the Middle Ages, although she is best known for her Regency romances. Simon the Coldheart reminded me of the type of historical fiction my sons really enjoyed in their early teens and although they didn’t get to read any of Heyer’s novels, I’m sure they would have taken to her writing. She is very good at portraying family life and in this book, male friendship. 

Lots of ye, thou, hast and battle exploits, chivalry and derring-do. 

Although Simon had a cold manner, he was loyal. His relationship with Fulk of Montlice and that man’s acceptance of him became almost that of father and son and Alan and Geoffrey were true and devoted friends. As you’d expect, something in Simon did spring to life in time but I won’t go into that. 

Recommended for those who enjoy the historical time period of the Middle Ages. There are romantic elements but not enough to turn off younger readers who prefer action. It has a slightly G. A. Henty feel about it with the added benefit of humour.

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The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott (1825)

 

‘All Scott’s work is marked by three characteristics: a genius for enriching the past; a love of Nature; a sturdy humanity. He loved the pomp and pageantry of a bygone age. His imagination lived naturally in the stirring tales of yore. He was a historical novelist by temperament rather than by profession... There have been historical romancers more accurate than Scott in the details of the story, but none so true to the inmost spirit of the age depicted.’ - from the Introduction by Robert Harding 

The Talisman is set in the Levant (the historical name for the region of the Eastern Mediterranean) towards the end of the Third Crusade. In 1187 A.D. Jerusalem was captured by Saladin and the Third Crusade was launched in 1189 to retake the city. The book, a work of historical fiction, focusses on Richard I, the ‘Lionheart,’ Saladin, and a fictitious knight by the name of Sir Kenneth. 

The Crusaders were encamped in the Holy Land and in disarray. The Lionheart was very ill with a fever and partisan politics were threatening the progress of the Crusade. Meanwhile, in the desert of Syria, Sir Kenneth meets a Saracen and after fighting and neither winning, they acknowledge each other’s prowess and continue on their travels together. The Saracen leads Sir Kenneth to the hermit he had been seeking and they then go their own ways. 

There are twists and turns, double identities, misunderstood prophecies and plenty of adventure as the story continues. 

'...the unfortunate Knight of the Leopard, bestowed upon the Arabian physician by King Richard rather as a slave than in any other capacity, was exiled from the camp of the Crusaders, in whose ranks he had so often and so brilliantly distinguished himself. He followed his new master...to the Moorish tents which contained his retinue and his property, with the stupid feelings of one who, fallen from the summit of a precipice and escaping unexpectedly with life, is just able to drag himself from the fatal spot, but without the power of estimating the extent of the damage which he has sustained.'

Scott gets a little theatrical and the chivalry is over the top at times, as you might expect of the writing from this time, but he really brings Richard and Saladin to life. Their characters are realistically portrayed and Edith, one of his main female characters and a relative of the King, is interesting, intelligent and plucky. 

Scott doesn’t glorify the Crusades in any way and Saladin is treated very positively. It was interesting to read Scott’s description of him as I had just finished a chapter in another book, In the Steps of the Master by H.V. Morton, where the author stated that Saladin was ‘...the one enemy of Christendom whose name runs through all the history books as that of a brave and chivalrous foe.’

I have to say that I used the dictionary fairly regularly when I was reading The Talisman! There are quite a few obscure words and although a glossary is provided at the beginning, it looks like it's the original from 1825 and doesn’t include all the words that have gone out of circulation since. 

The Talisman is scheduled as a free read for the Ambleside Online Year 7 curriculum and is a book all my children have enjoyed at some point. A great book to add to your Charlotte Mason high school.

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The Brother Cadfael Series by Ellis Peters

 Ellis Peters was the nom de plume of Edith Mary Pargeter (1913-1995). I started reading her Brother Cadfael series of Mediaeval whodunnits set in England in the 12th Century about fifteen years ago. They are best read in order, although I haven't done so as the books are not always easy to find here.

Cadfael, originally from Wales, had turned Benedictine monk after life as a soldier and sailor and was well versed in the ways of the world. The earlier books elaborate on this and introduce some characters such as Hugh Beringar - the deputy sheriff and Cadfael’s close friend; Abbot Radulfus and others who re-appear in subsequent books.

The Leper of Saint Giles was written in 1981 and is the Fifth Chronicle of the series. The story is set in the year 1139 when King Stephen was on the throne.

‘He had seen battles, too, in his time in the world, as far afield as Acre and Ascalon and Jerusalem in the first Crusade, and witnessed deaths crueller than disease, and heathen kinder than Christians, and he knew leprosies of the heart and ulcers of the soul worse than any of these he poulticed and lanced with his herbal medicines.’

When visiting the leprosy hospital at Saint Giles to restock their medical supplies, Cadfael arrives just as preparations for a noble wedding are in progress. He witnesses the bridegroom, Huon de Domville, arrive with his entourage. Domville is a shrewd, malevolent man, and quite a bit older than his intended young bride. 

The young woman rides in later, accompanied by her uncle and his wife, her guardians after her father died. Cadfael recognised her as the granddaughter of a famous knight who had fought in the Crusades. It was also obvious to Cadfael that the young girl had had no say in the matter of her marriage and discovers that the girl is secretly in love with one of Domville's squires.

Before the marriage could take place, two deaths occur and Cadfael uses his position and his past to help discover a murderer, absolve an innocent man, uncover a mystery, and unite two lovers.

The Leper of Saint Giles is a satisfying mystery and a tale of treachery with the unique twists and turns that are the hallmark of Ellis Peters.

The Virgin in the Ice is the sixth chronicle in the Cadfael series and was written in 1982. This book reveals a piece of Cadfael's past that should be read before going on to subsequent books. I won't say too much about this book but it could almost be called a thriller.

In the year 1139 King Stephen is on the throne but his cousin, Empress Maude, daughter of Henry I, has an equal claim to the throne. A civil war (the Anarchy) results and refugees have fled from Worcester, the scene of the latest conflict.

Among the refugees are a boy of thirteen, his seventeen year old sister, and a young Benedictine nun. They were known to have been  seeking refuge at Shrewsbury Abbey where Brother Cadfael resides but they fail to arrive. A monk of Cadfael's order is found near death from wounds inflicted by persons unknown and Brother Cadfael is drawn into both mysteries.

This is a gripping book with many false trails and intertwining plots. I thought there was just a wee bit of contrivance and overdone coincidence towards the end but Ellis Peters can get away with it. Her descriptive writing is a pleasure to read and her ability to draw the reader into the wintery, bleak atmosphere of the England of Mediaeval times adds to the appeal of these books.

As Cadfael reflects on his younger days and his time as a soldier in the Holy Land twenty-six years earlier he observes,

'In a land at war with itself...you may take it as certain that order breaks down, and savagery breaks out.'

The Virgin in the Ice covers a brutal period of English history and portrays the hardships that fall upon the common people when leadership forgets them. '...where royal kinsfolk are tearing each other for a crown, lesser men will ride the time for their own gain, without scruple or mercy.'

The Reading Life of a 13 Year Old Girl

For those of you with book gobblers, you know how difficult it can be to keep up with their reading habits. I'm constantly asked the question, "Do you have any books I can read?" I have shelves and rooms full of books but they're not always age appropriate, and sometimes I can't believe how fast my 13 year old girl reads. But I shouldn't really be surprised as one of her older sisters was also a ridiculously fast reader. Sometimes I tell her to re-read something and she often does, multiple times. These are some of her recent new titles, plus some of her re-reads.

The Gauntlet by Ronald Welch (1951)

'As Peter wanders around the ruined castle of Carreg Cennen he makes an amazing discovery - a rusted metal gauntlet. As he slips it on to his hand he is transported back to the fourteenth century, to a time when his Norman ancestors held the castle.
Accepted as the eldest son of Sir Roger de Blois, Peter learns how to hawk, fight, and shoot a longbow - but when a rebellion arises, it's up to Peter to escape from the besieged castle and fetch help.'

This was one of my husband's favourite books as a young teen and all of our children have enjoyed it. A re-read for Moozle & one of her favourite books.

There's No Escape by Ian Serraillier (1950)

A thrilling and sometimes humorous adventure set in war time Europe in the fictional country of Silvania. Peter Howarth is parachuted into enemy territory in order to find and rescue the brilliant scientist, Dr Helpmann, before the enemy catches him and forces him to reveal his important discoveries. A re-read and highly recommended for ages 10 years and up. Moozle has read this multiple times.

The Samurai's Tale by Eric Christian Haugaard (1984)

Set in turbulent 16th Century Japan when powerful warlords fought for supremacy. Haugaard is a skilful writer who captures the feel of the times.

'I shall begin my tale on that day when I lost not only my father, but my mother and my two older brothers as well. A storm swept our land and when it passed I was the only survivor of my family. In the morning of that day my name had been Murakami; I was a bushi, a knight's son whom every woman in the village would fondle and spoil. Before the sun set I had been given the name "Taro," a servant's name, and I was of no more importance than that name implied.'

I'd recommend this book for confident readers about age 13 years and up who are interested in history. There is a profusion of Japanese names which some readers might find confusing and it is a bit brutal in places, which isn't surprising considering the time period.
This was the first time Moozle read this book.

Sir Nigel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1906)

Although Conan Doyle is best known for his Sherlock Holmes' character, he has a good number of historical fiction titles that aren't as well-known & they are all excellent. Sir Nigel is a swashbuckling knight errant in the service of Edward lll, who goes looking for honour and renown to gain the hand of his lady-love, who waits patiently in England.
Sir Nigel, although written at a later date, is the prequel to the The White Company, which recounts the adventures of Alleyne Edricson, who is in the service of the middle-aged and married Sir Nigel.
This gets re-read fairly frequently.

Mr Fitton at the Helm (1998) & Mr Fitton's Hurricane (2000) by Showell Styles

Information about this author may be found here. Both books are set in the early 1800's, are based on an actual Naval officer and are historically accurate. I picked these two books up secondhand & got my husband to preview them before I handed them over to Moozle. She enjoyed them & would like to read others in the series. Both these books are suitable for about age 12 years and up.

Flying Aces of World War I by Gene Gurney (1965)

This is a re-read & we've had this book for many years. If you can find a copy, it's a great read for anyone interested in WWI and flying. If your children like Biggles, they'll be happy with this book. My children loved anything like this and if the interest is there this book is really suitable for any age.

The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell (1966)

A Newbery Honor book set in the time of the Conquistadors. O'Dell writes well but his books are often a little dark and sad, so it's probably good to give them a quick preview to see if they are suitable for your child. First time reading.

The Snow Smugglers by Patrick Pringle (1939)

This is a book I picked up secondhand recently. It's a good adventure story especially for boys (8 years and up) who are reluctant readers, and while Moozle read it and didn't mind it, it was a bit too predictable plot-wise for her. Two young lads, Geoffrey and Keith are on a school excursion in Paris. Geoffrey's father is a secret agent, and unbeknownst to the boys, they are being watched by members of a drug cartel who plan to kidnap them in order to get their hands on Geoffrey's father who is on their trail. I like how the boys are portrayed, and if I'd come across this book when my boys were younger, I'm sure they would have enjoyed it.

Mistress Pat by L.M. Montgomery (1938)

Up until reading Mistress Pat, Moozle had enjoyed every other book this author has written, but this one was a disappointment. From what I can gather, the previous 'Pat of Silver Bush,' is a much better story than its sequel. Moozle's opinion of Mistress Pat:

'Pretty boring. They just sat around and gossiped all day and never did anything.' 
Just as well it only cost me a dollar.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R.R.Tolkien

We bought this beautiful boxed set in the Folio Society Christmas sale and Moozle devoured all three books in about a week. She hasn't watched the movies and probably won't until she's a bit older. At the end of next year her Orchestra will be performing the music at the cinema while the movie is screened. They did this awhile ago before she joined the Symphony & it was a huge success.

The Young Victoria

Not a book, but we watched this movie the other night and afterwards ended up delving into British History & Queen Victoria's reign. It's rated PG and I'd recommend it for about age 13 years and up. It is a lovely movie that looks at court intrigue and the machinations of government and politics in the lead up to Victoria's ascent to the throne and her marriage to Albert.

Reading Europe: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly (1928)

According to legend, in the thirteenth century Tartars from the east descended upon the Polish city of Kraków. The young trumpeter of the Church of Our Lady Mary had taken a solemn oath to play the Heynal each hour of the day and night from the church tower, and this he did even as the Tartars below were setting fire to the town and the other inhabitants had fled into the Wawel fortress. As he played the hymn, a Tartar below shot an arrow,  killing him before he could finish the hymn.
One hundred and twenty years later, Andrew Charnetski, his wife, and their son, Joseph, arrived in Kraków seeking refuge after they were driven out of the Ukraine. In their possession was the Great Tarnov Crystal, a rare jewel that had been in the Charnetski family for over two hundred years, and which they had sworn to guard.
Befriended by Jan Kanty, a renowned priest, theologian and scholar of the times, the family was provided with lodgings and Andrew, a skilful trumpeter, was given the night shift in the church tower. Before long, however, a Tartar chief from the Ukraine had discovered their whereabouts and made plans to get his hands on the jewel. He would stop at nothing to achieve his ends.

The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly won the Newbery Medal in 1929 for this story of medieval Poland and wrote the book while he was teaching and studying at the University of Krakow. Krakow was not the tourist destination it is today, and before the book was published in 1928, it had never even been mentioned in a book for children. The Trumpeter of Krakow is an unusual book in many ways, with its focus being a little known city in Poland at the time of its publication. Although it is an adventure story of sorts, the author focuses on some of the interplay of the scientific thought and superstitious beliefs prevalent at the time - alchemists, hypnotism and a brief mention of the future work of Nicholas Copernicus. This adds some interesting angles, so that although the book is recommended for ages 8 to 12, it would probably interest older children as well.

The prestige of the various colleges and the reputation of the men who taught there had drawn to Kraków not only genuine students but also many of the craft that live by their wits in all societies, in all ages - fortune tellers, necromancers, and fly-by-nights who were forever eluding the authorities of the law...

Against the machinations of these men the influence of the university was ever working, and the first great blow that many of these magic crafts and black art received was struck by Nicholas Kopernik, better known as Copernicus, many years later, when Joseph Charnetski was a very old man; Copernicus, working with rough implements, even before the telescope had been invented, proved to men for the first time that the heavenly bodies, stars and planets, move in the skies according to well-fixed and definitely determined laws, subject only to the will of he Creator of the universe, and that they have nothing to do with the destinies of individuals. 


Some interesting bits & pieces


The Heynal and St. Mary's Tower





Historical figures in the book include:

Jan Kanty (also known as St John Cantius) who was much revered in Poland for his wisdom, humility and generosity.
Kazimir Jagiello, King of Poland.


Historical places mentioned in the story:

View of Wawel near the end of the 16th century

The Wawel Castle and Cathedral (on the left) in Kraków, Poland

 St. Mary's Church in Kraków, Poland

For a second the woman's heart quailed before the fresh difficulties, but she forgot self at the look in her husband's face. Her quiet reply, "We will wait, for God is in the waiting," filled him with courage again.

Now of all the creatures that God has put in the world a dog is the most curious, and sometimes, one might think, the most discerning. For when this same animal had broken loose in the morning, his first impulse, which he had followed, had been that of flight. His second impulse was to look for a friend, since no dog can live without a friend.

These are dark days when men look with suspicion upon all who engage in investigation whether it be honest or dishonorable, godly or selfish.

2016 Classic Children's Literature Event: Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle

During the month of April I'm linking up at Simpler Pastimes for Amanda's Classic Children's Literature Event. I hope to read at least two books for the Event and here is the first (I cheated and actually started before the 1st April...): Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his Sherlock Holmes' detective character but he also wrote some excellent historical novels. 

In 1891, Doyle's novel, The White Company, was published. This book tells of the adventures of Sir Nigel Loring and his men and is set during The Hundred Years' War. Fifteen years later, in 1906, the 'prequel,' Sir Nigel, was published. This book, set at the beginning of the war, details the exploits of the squire before he became a knight. 

Nigel of Tilford is the last in a long line of a famous but now impoverished family. Brought up by his aged grandmother, the Lady Ermyntrude, Nigel is small in stature but has a heart full of chivalrous intent, and is determined to win honour and become a knight. 

Together with his lusty attendant, Aylward, they find adventure and seek their fortunes in England and France alongside Edward III, the Black Prince and Sir John Chandos, a Knight of the Garter.

If you've read The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood and Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle, you will get an idea of what to expect from this book. Doyle's humour is reminiscent of Pyle's Robin Hood. Sir Nigel is brimming with humorous episodes and downright fun as Nigel follows his romantic ideals and goes about 'winning worshipful worship.' However, there is also much serious content and brutality that reflects the time period of the story, which is also the case in parts of Otto of the Silver Hand, but even more so in Sir Nigel. 

A couple of instances of the more serious aspects of the book which come to mind: 

In Chapter XI of the story, the reader is introduced to Sir John Buttesthorn and his two daughters, Edith and Mary:

...Never had two more different branches sprung from the same trunk. Both were tall and of a queenly graceful figure. But there all resemblance began and ended.

Edith was yellow as the ripe corn, blue-eyed, winning, mischievous, with a chattering tongue, a merry laugh, and a smile which a dozen of young gallants, Nigel of Tilford at their head, could share equally among them. Like a young kitten she played with all the things that she found in life, and some there were who thought that already the claws could be felt amid the patting of her velvet touch.

Mary was as dark as night, grave-featured, plain-visaged, with steady brown eyes looking bravely at the world from under a strong black arch of brows. None could call her beautiful, and when her fair sister cast her arm around her and placed her cheek against hers, as was her wont when company was there, the fairness of the one and the plainness of the other leaped visibly to the eyes of all, each the clearer for that hard contrast. And yet, here and there, there was one who, looking at her strange, strong face, and at the passing gleams far down in her dark eyes, felt that this silent woman, with her proud bearing and her queenly grace, had in her something of strength, of reserve, and of mystery which was more to them than all the dainty glitter of her sister.

Later on in Chapter XII, Edith is deceived by a cunning nobleman into running away with him after he makes a false promise of marriage. Nigel, Mary and an old priest seek out the couple and find, as they expected, that the nobleman had no intention of marrying Edith but it was not until Nigel had a dagger at the man's throat that Edith saw through the deception. She returned home chastened and thankful that she had escaped from a situation that would have brought shame and disgrace to both herself and her family.

This situation was handled so well by Doyle that younger readers could get a sense of the moral peril Edith was in without being burdened by information above their heads or maturity level. 

Some other scenes occurred which may be too intense for some younger readers:

The butcher of La Brohiniere had captured some of Nigel's company and imprisoned them in a castle and when the English tried to make an attempt to free them, La Brohiniere started to hang some of the men from the parapets. When Nigel later succeeded in finding a way into the place where the English were imprisoned, he found a strange and horrible scene:

It was a great vaulted chamber, brightly lit by many torches. At the farther end roared a great fire. In front of it three naked men were chained to posts in such a way that, flinch as they might, they could never get beyond the range of its scorching heat. Yet they were so far from it that no actual burn could be afflicted if they could but keep turning and shifting so as continually to present some fresh portion of their flesh to the flames. Hence they danced and whirled in front of the fire, tossing ceaselessly this way and that within the compass of their chains, wearied to death, their protruding tongues cracked and blackened with thirst, but unable for one instant to rest from their writings and contortions.

Sir Nigel would appeal to anyone interested in historical, well-paced, adventurous types of book. I'd recommend it for confident readers who have enjoyed books by  authors such as G.A Henty, Rosemary Sutcliff, Henry Treece, and especially Howard Pyle. Each of these authors wrote realistic historical fiction for children. Most of my children read this book around the ages of 10 to 12 years and thought it was a great story. Moozle (11years of age) is reading it for the second time. I think the humour throughout is an added attraction for her and helps to keep the story buoyant.

The passages you may want to pre-read before handing the book to your children are from these two chapters which I've linked to a free online version:

Ch XII How Nigel Fought the Twisted Man of Shalford

Ch XX How the English Attempted the Castle of La Brohiniere

There is an excellent audio version narrated by Stephen Thorne:

Arthur Conan Doyle was proud of the research that went into his historical novels and he wrote this explanation about the content of Sir Nigel:

I am aware that there are incidents which may strike the modern reader as brutal and repellent. It is useless, however, to draw the Twentieth Century and label it the Fourteenth. It was a sterner age, and men’s code of morality, especially in matters of cruelty, was very different. There is no incident in the text for which very good warrant may not be given. The fantastic graces of Chivalry lay upon the surface of life, but beneath it was a half-savage population, fierce and animal, with little ruth or mercy. It was a raw, rude England, full of elemental passions, and redeemed only by elemental virtues. Such I have tried to draw it.

Hildegard's Gift by Megan Hoyt

Hildegard of Bingen (Germany) lived around 1098-1179 A.D. and possessed all the attributes that would have earned her the title of a Renaissance woman had she been born two centuries later.

A few months ago I noticed that Ambleside Online had scheduled her as a composer to be studied later this year and my interest was piqued. I had heard of her years ago but had no idea of her influence and the breadth of her abilities, let alone listened to any of her musical compositions.

A contemporary of Bernard of Clairvaux, she joined the ranks of such luminaries as Augustine, Bede the Venerable and Athanasius, when she was made a Doctor of the Church in 2012.

An online search gave me an indication of the interest generated by her life and work. From university studies and articles from diverse Christian persuasions, to recordings of her compositions by contemporary artists, I found a good amount of information for adults, but nothing for a younger audience.

And then along came this book:

Hildegard's Gift by Megan Hoyt

Hildegard's Gift gives us an insight into the life and times of Hildegard of Bingen, starting with her childhood and her struggle with the gifts she had been given and their expression. The story follows her journey as she enters the Abbey, meets with Bernard of Clairvaux, accepts the call of God on her life and eventually gives voice to her gifts. Hildegard called herself, 'a feather on the breath of God,' and dedicated her life to God and serving others.

This delightful book has 28 pages, and is attractively illustrated by David Hill. It is written for 5 to 10 year olds but the author's inclusion of a number of quotes from Hildegard herself opens the book up to a wider age range, adding depth without over-complicating the story. I think the book would enhance any study of mediaeval times or church music for children.

'There is the music of Heaven in all things, and we have forgotten how to hear it until we sing.' 

I appreciated the author's intent and belief that every child is God's workmanship created to do good works and each person has a gift to be put to use. Some gifts come wrapped up, as Hildegard experienced, and have to be sought out, and as in her case, may involve a commitment from others to help unwrap that gift. I think this book helps us to see and appreciate the role that we can play in this unwrapping, and the possibility that our role in this area might also extend beyond our own children.

Information on Megan Hoyt and her personal story which inspired her to write this book can be found on her website. It also contains examples of music and paintings by Hildegard, spelt recipes (Hildegard was also interested in health!) and printable colouring pages by the illustrator.

Hildegard's music has found a more recent voice through performances and recordings by groups such as Sequentia, an innovative ensemble for medieval music, and Elfthenthal (see video below), an early music ensemble based in Germany.

The Ambleside Online composer's page has a list of recommended listening and links to you-tube videos of her compositions.

Other websites that I thought were helpful are:

A well written historical aspect:  The Freelance History Writer 

Historical sites related to Hildegard of Bingen.

An article written from an Anglican perspective.
Another from the Christian Worldview Journal.

I was kindly given a free copy of Hildegard's Gift by Paraclete Press for the purpose of this review.