I absolutely loved this latest book by Barbara Erskine. In it, she tells the story of Abi Rutherford, a curate who moves to a new parish, working under the priest there, Keir, who is behaving in increasingly more irrational ways. Abi is given a crystal by her mother, which has been handed down from generation to generation, and in it she can see the story of a druidess from 2000 years earlier.
This is an absolutely fascinating book. It covers Christianity and the Church of England, and mixes this with paganism and healing. There is a dual time narrative - one story is about Abi and the other is about Mora, the druidess, and a young man who is accompanying her in her healing visits, and who is an amazingly accomplished healer himself. This man's story is one of the most fascinating things in the book, as the reader, and Abi, gradually become aware of his identity.
I felt immense satisfaction when I reached the conclusion of the story. I was sorry that it had come to a close, but I felt it ended perfectly. The author has obviously done a lot of research into the various subjects covered in the book, and she's written a totally engrossing story, and one which I would recommend to anybody who enjoys historical fiction, dual time narratives, and books that cover different religions.
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