Glastonbury Tor

Glastonbury Tor contains a lot of actual historical events and people. During the High Middle Ages and the reign of King Henry the VIII, corruption was rampant. Poor Colin leaves one abusive home and enters another when he seeks refuge in the Glastonbury Abby, though some of monks were kind toward him. He matured quite a bit during the year within which this novel occurs. Colin faced unspeakable evil, experienced situation straight from legends in Britain and of the ancient druids, and came in contact with relics alleged to have ties to Christ. Some of the events that occur in this book are obviously fictional as Christ does not inhabit a cup...the Holy Grail, despite legend. And Colin had visions that no one else could see. Nevertheless I found the story quite entertaining despite the lack of romance in the book. It's more of a coming of age novel about a teen boy who must overcome obstacles and confront evil as he learns about true faith.

English mysteries and historical novels are great favorites of mine, and I thoroughly enjoyed Glastonbury Tor. Life in those times was a challenge to say the least, and the issues the people faced were the same ones we face today of shelter, food, funding to live on, relationships, security, government, life and death. Good and evil directly affected them. Today we feel our society has advanced far beyond the time period in the book, but in reality we deal with the same issues and our decisions affect us just as much as theirs affected them. Our technology is greater, but our humanity is the same. It was a good read.

A novel centered around the time of the English Reformation could in the hands of many authors descend into partisan tirades against the ecclesial party one dislikes. In this tumultuous period of history where the fate of the English Church seemed to change directions with the seasons, there were examples of terrible bloodshed on both sides - but also of honest faith. The ability to bring this out is one of the most refreshing things in LeAnne Hardy's Glastonbury Tor - the tale of a novice entering the monastic life just as Henry VIII begins to move against the orders in England. The book centers around the young Collen Hay - son of Sir Stephen Hay - a brutish man predisposed to drunkenness, debauchery, and violence - and whom young Collen came to despise as much as he loved the mother who had died because of his father's indifference. Collen flees his father's anger by seeking to fulfill his mother's wish for him to be a monk and on the way meets a family of religious dissidents who dare to read the Holy Scriptures for themselves. Their simple faith both inspires and frightens him as he makes his way to a new life. At the monastery, he finds a mix of men who are at different places in their walk. Some bear the fruit of a close walk with the Lord while others seem to be going through the motions. One man might show his faith with the unflinching joy with which he goes through life while another no less devout will seem to be bearing the weight of a great burden that is his own cross to bear in this life. And even in this place reserved for God there is evil in the midst of them... The world is no less a mixed bag than the monks. The greed and avarice that accompanied Henry VIII's siezing the property of the Church is given life as unscrupulous syncophants use it as an opportunity to enrich themselves with objects donated by faithful patrons for God's service. The common people are split between those who will forgive even the greatest wrongs done to them and others who would gladly concoct tales to send an innocent man to death for a price. The contrast of anger and forgiveness, truth and deception are battles Collen wages in his own soul - a battle he cannot avoid until he can reconcile the Lord's forgiveness with his own anger. He struggles to learn how to accept forgiveness but knows he must first learn to forgive. LeAnne Hardy has written an uplifiting book that can reach a wide audience at different levels. The faith of its positive characters is neither steeped in academic rigor nor drowing in bland sentimentality. The pace is steady but is not anything close to "action packed". In many ways it reflects the pace of life of the monastics of its pages - spiritually intense but never hurried. Altogether, it is quite exceptional.