Anchoress of Shere

The Anchoress of Shere is a fascinating book. I don't know that I think of it so much as a mystery, although certainly the crime is the anchor of the story, as an captivating story of obsession and insanity versus intellect and courage. The story alternates between 1967 and the 1300's, but each supports, rather than detracts from, the other. This was a one-sitting, don't-interrupt-me, read. The quality of writing is first rate. This is a book I can, and do, highly recommend. 2002 Top Ten Read - Obsession and insanity versus intellect and courage.

This book takes its time telling two stories intertwined on the page and in the mysteries of the past and the future. One story is that of Christine Carpenter, a young girl who voluntarily entombs herself as an anchoress in her 14th century church in the village of Shere... and that of Marda Stewart, who is violently entombed in 1967 in this same village of Shere by a pshychotic Priest who is obsessed with his fictional retelling of Christine's story. The narrative of the book is engrossing and very effective at pulling the reader into both stories simultaneously. Jettisoned between the harsh realities of the Middle Ages and the terrrifying events unfolding in the 1960's there are graphic descriptions of terror that are necessary in understanding the horror and exhultation that can be experienced by the body, mind and soul. Only through journeying through these graphic passages can the reader come to fully appreciate the final pages of the book which offer an eloquent and profound lesson in redemption. The book is not meant to be a historical document on the dogma of the Church or the nature of anchoresses and instead the author uses these as the premise to paint a canvas of the evolution of faith and the power of the human spirit. But mostly, through the three main characters, the reader comes to see religion and especially faith (wether meek devotion or fanatical obsession) as an individual journey that has a mystery all its own.

Marda Stewart is drawn to the village of Shere after visiting St. James's church but she has no idea of what a profound impact this decision will have on her life. She soon meets Father Michael Duval. Duval has become obsessed with the story of Christine Carpenter, entombed within the walls of the church in 1329 when she become the anchoress. As Father Duval writes about Christine's life he feels the need to recreate her entombment and focuses on Marda to mold into his perfect recreation of Christine. This is a tightly woven suspense novel that focuses on a fascinating historical figure and reading it has caused me to want to know more about the Anchoress of Shere. I have already started searching the web and looking for books and although there are many theories, no one knows exactly what happened to her. This book is currently being published in the U.S. after it became a success in England and there is also talk of turning this into a movie.

In 1392 in what is now the quaint town of Shere in Surrey, England Christine Carpenter willing locked herself away from the rest of the world in an attempt to reach a state of oneness with God while still living on the mortal plane. Almost six hundred years later, fanatical Catholic Priest Michael Duval became fascinated with what Christine and other Anchoresses like her tried to do and decided to flesh out her story in a novel. However, Michael's muse has deserted him so he is going to do what he has tried to do five times before. He is going to kidnap a young woman and incarcerate her in a specially created cell in his basement. He is then going to teach her about religion so that she can become "his" modern day Christine and he will able to finish his book. He successfully kidnaps Marda Stewart who, unlike her predecessors, intends to live to tell the tale about the killer priest. Paul Moorcraft captures the atmosphere of fourteenth century England to perfection while telling Christine's "story". He also shows the mindset of a serial killer through his actions and thoughts. Though six centuries separate the two stories, they are held together by an intriguing plot that will keep the reader turning the pages until they finish this very unusual but nonetheless fascinating tale.Harriet Klausner