The Time Before You Die: A Novel of the Reformation

What a beautiful book! Beckett paints a rich portrait of Reformation England, giving the reader rare and valuable insights into the interior realms of monastic life. I found it both elegant and moving. I wish I was still reading it for the first time!

Like the previous reviewer articulated this book truely weaves fictional and historical events to create a beautiful book which conveys the sadness of a world torn apart by religion and politics. Both Catholics and Protestants are presented with their strengths and warts and the complicated political and social factors involved in the reformation/counter reformation and eventual Anglican independence, are presented to help expalin how this tragic moment of history happened. May also give us the insight to prevent denominational squabbles that exist today if the message of the book are meditated on.

Lucy Beckett does a tremendous job of explaining the confusion of the Reformation in England shortly after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536. Using both historical and fictional characters, she weaves the plot by interspersing narrative with letters written by the characters.While most historians seem to take sides on the Reformation issue, or at least point fingers, Beckett's novel brings you into the characters themselves to "feel their pain;" be it the ex-monk turned Protestant reformer who longs to comfort his dying wife and newborn child; or the Catholic Cardinal who longs to reconcile the two sides but meets resistance by both the Vatican and the Protestants. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was it seemed a bit sluggish in the beginning. But if you can make it through the sloppy bits, it is a real gem!