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BOOK REVIEW: Glastonbury
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by: W. Terry Whalin Title: Glastonbury—The Novel of Christian England Author: Donna Fletcher Crow Publisher: Crossway Books ISBN: 1-581-34162-8 Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Fiction Christianity.com - Some people love history books while others resist reading the details of history. Through this epic historical fiction from Donna Fletcher Crow, you can discover a refreshing way to learn how Christianity came to England. Glastonbury (Crossway Books) begins with Joseph of Arimathea, who gave his tomb to Christ for burial. History shows he also brought the Gospel to England. From Joseph of Arimathea, the reader travels through history to King Henry VIII. Austin Ringwode, one of the last monks of the Glastonbury monastery, chronicles the narrative and begins each section. The book divides into six sections, and Crow throws open a window of time to help the reader gain a sense of the flavor and people of each period. Throughout the novel, the characterization and plotting are excellent. Because the book covers 1,500 years, the sections appear rushed. A reader will begin delighting in a character, then it ends, and you press on to the next period of history. The periods include: Celtic Britain, Roman Britain, Arthurian Britain, Anglo-Saxon England, Norman England and Tudor England. The families are tied to the monastery at Glastonbury as well as related. A family chart helps lend cohesiveness to this book. The Arthurian Britain section lacked a tie to the families of Glastonbury, since no characters are related to the family chart. A repeated theme is the search and discovery of God as Patricius prays to God, "Let my former desires pass away that I may climb to new heights in You. Free me from my fears, fill me with power to experience Your presence, help me, O God, to live in Your presence." For readers of historical fiction, I recommend this fascinating journey through the history of the Gospel in England. W. Terry Whalin is a Feature Writer for Christianity.Com. He has written for more than 50 publications and reviewed books for many of these publications. In addition, Terry has been an ECPA Gold Medallion judge in the fiction category for many years. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com Copyright 2000 by W. Terry Whalin. Used by permission. Through this epic historical fiction from Donna Fletcher Crow, you can discover a refreshing way to learn how Christianity came to England. --W. Terry Whalin
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