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HERESY
by Sharan Newman
Forge, December 2002
352 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 0765302462


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Few historical mysteries are written by scholars doing research from original sources. The Catherine Le Vendeur series is one of the exceptions. Sharan Newman extensively researches each book, and frequently, the next in the series comes out of a side track she found while researching the last.

HERESY is the 8th book in the series set mainly in France in the 12th century. It is 1148 and Catherine is sent to her teacher, Heloise, at the Convent of the Paraclete, for protection while her husband is off on a buying trip to Spain with Catherine's (Jewish) cousin. But Heloise asks her to go to Reims during the Council for several reasons, not the least of which is to help protect her son, Astrolabe.

As with all the other books in the series, Newman shows all facets of life in the middle ages. Things are especially tense now that the Crusades have begun and the Christians are killing all who have different beliefs from them. Astrolabe, who lived with a group in the forest led by a strange simple minded man who believed himself to be Christ, is in danger from the same men who persecuted his father, Abelard, for trying to think differently from the written teachings. Catherine despairs of ever converting her cousin, Solomon, to the "one true faith" The church hierarchy is busily discussing different heresies and trying to protect their own way of life. The men of the upper classes are off in the Holy Land trying to kill the infidel, while their wives fight the wars at home and run the extensive estates they left trying to save their souls

Set against the vivid background of the time, the characters come to life. We care about each one and want to know more about their lives. We grieve with Catherine on her father's apostasy and we feel the same anger as does Edgar when he finds his wife has put herself in danger again. We hope that Edgar's half-sister finds a suitable match, and gets over Solomon. We care for these people. And we find that life hasn't changed much in almost 1000 years. Especially when it comes to religious beliefs.

Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, December 2002

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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