Synopsis "The Lion and the Cross: A Novel of Saint Patrick and Ancient Ireland"
The man who would become Ireland’s beloved patron saint confronts his destiny during the tumultuous Dark Ages in this vibrant, enthralling novel In 410 CE, arrogant sixteen-year-old Magonus Sucatus Patricius denounces Christianity as a religion for cowards when the Roman legions withdraw, leaving Britain vulnerable to raiders from the west. Determined to wield a sword despite being the grandson of a priest, the affluent young man is taken captive by barbarians and sold into slavery to a cruel Irish king. On a mountaintop in Eire, a shepherd strips him of his grand Roman name and calls him Padraic, marking him a man of no consequence. Set against the magnificent backdrop of ancient Ireland and based on available historical facts, Saint Patrick’s Confession, and Celtic myth, this gripping novel follows Patrick as he finds his faith while fighting to escape bondage in Eire. Friendship with a king, love for a queen, and enmity with the druids who fear his God will embroil him in a civil war in a land from which he will struggle to flee—only to be called to return. “Fans of Mary Stewart’s historical fiction should welcome [this] fictionalized account of St. Patrick. . . . Hamilton has recreated this legendary character in a manner that permits the reader to understand Patrick as an ordinary man driven by a power that he can only reluctantly acknowledge and submit to. . . . An excellent portrayal of a time when magic was a normal occurrence and violence and upheaval were everywhere . . . Entertaining.” —The Columbus Dispatch “A blend of legend, allegory and facts that form the story of a spirited Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland . . . The Celtic ambiance of 5th century Eire is well caught . . . and a colorful tapestry emerges for a saint about whom little is known historically.” —Publishers Weekly “A spare outline of plot gives no concept of the richness of the textural fabric of this book. Along with the historical figures, [Hamilton] has interwoven the stories of such fictional characters as Licinius, the Briton warlord, the beautiful maiden Clodia, and the whore Morrighan. . . . If sheer love of subject were a guarantee of an author’s success, then Hamilton is a winner on that ground alone. . . . As a departure from the usual historical novel, The Lion and The Cross is unique.” —Fort Worth Star-Telegram “An exciting adventure story about a rebellious, very human young man destined to become the revered Patron Saint of the Irish, this book is on the order of Mary Stewart’s Merlin novels The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills.” —Doubleday Catholic Book News Joan Lesley Hamilton began writing at the age of seventeen. Her first historical novel, The Lion and the Cross: A Novel of Saint Patrick and Ancient Ireland (1979), was inspired by the man behind the myths. Writing under the pseudonym William Sarabande, Hamilton is also the author of Wolves of the Dawn (1986), a novel of Bronze Age Britain, and the international bestselling eleven-volume First Americans series. She lives in Southern California.
