Synopsis
Drawing on both Welsh and English sources, F ay Sampson found conflicting accounts of Edwin, King of Nort humbria. In this compelling novel she has created a convinci ng and dramatic portrait of this mysterious king. '

From the Author
How to make a good story from two conflicting ones
There are two stories about how our forebears in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria became Christian. One,written in Latin by the Venerable Bede, says King Edwin of Northumbria was converted by Paulinus, friend of Saint Augustine of Canterbury and a missionary from Rome. He had come north with Edwin's new bride, a Christian Kentish princess. But the Welsh tell a different story. They say Edwin was baptised by a Celtic priest-prince, Rhun. And he very well may have been. As a boy, Edwin had to flee from Northumbria, because his brother-in-law had seized the kingdom and wanted to kill him. And this heathen boy fled to Christian Wales, the very people his Anglo-Saxon family were trying to conquer. So maybe they converted him, as well as protected him. Whenever I get two conflicting stories like this, I always find I get more mileage, not from deciding which one to go for, but asking myself, "Suppose they are both true!" What if Edwin did become a Christian as a youngster in Wales? And what if, when the Welsh were defeated and he had to flee to the heathen Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia,he dropped his Christianity and went back to his heathen gods? When he finally won the kingdom of Northumbria back, he became the greatest of all the English kings. So when his Christian bride and her bishop wanted him to be baptised, how could he confess to them that he already was? That he, the great Northumbrian conqueror, was a coward who had gone back on his vows of loyalty to his lord Christ? Bede's account says that Edwin agonised for months and kept half-promising to be baptised and then putting it off. I could see why. So what made him change his mind? Ah, you'll have to read it to find out. And there is another thing in those old stories. Northumbria's bitterest enemy was Cadwallon, King of Gwynedd. And who was he? The son of the same king who had taken Edwin in as a boy. His own foster-brother. And what did Edwin do when he got his kingdom back? He attacked the Welsh in Gwynedd, drove Cadwallon out of Anglesey to a tiny island and then forced him into exile. There's gratitude for you. I could see why Cadwallon would be bitter. So it's the relationship of these men, who should have brothers, driving the story to its climax. Oh, and Edwin's niece was Saint Hilda. And she was a remarkable young woman.

1 Review 5 star:  (1) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (1 customer review)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   Edwin of Northumbria, Bretwalda, 23 Oct 1999 By  "bleater" - See all my reviews This novel tells the story of the early 7th century King of Deira, Edwin, and is told from his point of view. Edwin is exiled from Deira after the death of his father, and has to seek protection at the court of other kings until he can take Deira back. He not only regains Deira, but Bernicia as well, which together form the northern English kingdom of Northumbira. Ms Sampson's prose is spare and tight, and the narrative is totally believeable. The reader is drawn into Edwin's mindset, and, ultimately, this book is very moving. Edwin is not necessarily a likeable character to modern day thinking - he is an Anglo-Saxon king and warrior, and does what he needs to keep his kingdom. But this is what makes this book a cut above the average historical novel, and it's in sore need of being awarded a prize! The character of Hild (eventually Abbess of Whitby) is introduced here, I can only hope that Ms Sampson will be writing Hild's story as a sequel.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers:  › See all customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews