Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel
When we think of the Dark Ages, we  often think of a dim, primitive society where people struggled  just to stay alive, with no room for spirituality or philosophy.  The cool, clear, gemlike precision of Horsley's (Crazy Woman)  new novel tells another tale. Gwynneve is born into a world  suspended between paganism and Christianity: Ireland circa 500  C.E. While the rest of Europe was well on its way toward  Christianity, at this time Ireland remained much closer to its  pagan traditions. After losing her mother, Gwynneve trains as a  druid and practices as one for many years. By the time she sets  her story down, though, she has converted to Christianity and  become a nun. The book is written as a memoir detailing her  journey from her birth into a pagan tribe to her end as a  Christian with near-saintly status. Her story is not just that  of a strong woman making her way in a hostile world. It is also  the story of what happens to a country when a new religion takes  the place of the old. A beautifully written and  thought-provoking book; recommended for all fiction  collections.Wendy Bethel, Southwest P.L., Grove City,  OHCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.