Ireland 590 A.D.Brutally beaten, she’s lost her memory and found a new life. If she recovers, will she lose more than she gains?A woman is found by a track, nearly dead from appalling wounds and remembers nothing. Her terror and her injuries are so great that she is given sanctuary in Mother Gobnait’s unusual community of nuns, while all around her a war is being waged in which she is a pawn. The … she is a pawn. The women name her Aine.
Disturbing fragments of Áine’s memory begin to surface, and in desperation she asks to remain in the safety of the community, but is it really safe for her anywhere?
It is only after events take another terrible turn that Áine is forced to discover who she really is and make life-changing choices – but will they prove to be her undoing?
A literary novel inspired by real women – complex female characters who strain against the cruel chains and crippling prejudices of a society where no woman has power. Except, perhaps, one…
‘a fascinating novel that gives a real sense of life as it might have been during one of the most turbulent periods in Irish history….There is evidence of meticulous research, and it is difficult not to be impressed by how the author manages to blend fiction with legend, keeping faithful to the stories surrounding St Gobnait, but building a narrative against these given details, one that spins off in its own intriguing directions. ..Miss Gleeson’s natural storytelling guile and clear functional prose keeps the focus intact… Ultimately this is a fascinating story, one that not only shines a light on an often overlooked period of Ireland’s past, but also meditates on such fundamental facts of life as identity, family loyalty, love, faith and justice.’ Irish Examiner
Kristin Gleeson has performed with admirable deftness the difficult trick of sweeping the reader back in time to the distant emotional and physical landscapes of 6th century Ireland. The result is a highly readable and continuously rewarding novel that the reader does not want to end—Tim Weed, author of “Will Poole’s Island.”
I found in this well-told story, the first strokes of paint on the huge, mostly blank, canvas that is our image and perception of our Irish or Gaelic past – the canvas of our increasingly dispossessed native culture. I found myself drawn into a realm that felt oddly familiar and full of cultural touchstones of the indigenous Irish past, faint echoes of which still linger in parts of this island today.”In Praise of the Bees” is a good read. Guím faoi scáth is dídean Gobnait is Abáin tú – go mairir—Peadar Ó Riada
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A farmer and his son discover Áine’s body half submerged in a bog, limbs broken and covered in blood. She is taken to the abbess, Máthair Gobnait, who is well-known for her honey and herbs. Words spreads in Boirneach about the attack and Máthair Gobnait senses it was likely not random. It’s easy to read these opening sections at a fast pace because we want to know what happens to Áine and find out who she really is. But the historical detail must not be overlooked.
As Áine recovers, listening to the hymns and sounds of worship, so does her body. She observes a community of nuns intent on celebrating God and healing the sick, which opens up an otherworldly quality and a certain tension. We long for Áine to remember her past if only to find out the nature of her attacker and I can’t help feeling a stab of frustration for her as she fails to recall the most basic of women’s duties such as spinning wool. I think this is where Gleeson succeeds in conveying a mood of helplessness and fear. The characters in this novel are intriguing and as Áine helps Máthair Gobnait with the sick, she meets Colmán, a representative of the law who might be able to help find her kin. I could sense here that there was more to Colmán’s interest than just plain investigating.
Máthair Gobnait has an innate sense of wisdom. She seems equipped with some secret knowledge, whether it be from God or from somewhere else I couldn’t say. For me, this adds to the fascination of Áine’s condition right from the start. Beautiful scenes of the bees and their beachair, ‘lovingly formed from sedge grass’ gave me a breathtaking image of the time. We can easily breathe in the damp woody scents of the forest near the Sullane River.
The author pulls her readers into 6th Century Ireland with such ease you are hooked for the entire duration. Needless to say, her research is impeccable. I can’t praise this book highly enough.
All About a group of religious women who keep bees and how they intersect with the power of men–very middle ages. But, a good read–not tooo heavy or convoluted One learns a lot about medieval life–glad it’s all in the past!
The woman found beaten nearly to death doesn’t remember anything of her past, not even her name. The nuns at the convent where her life was saved nurse her for months, but nothing seems to bring her memory back. They christen her Aine, and Aine becomes part of their community and a special postulant to the Mother Abbess who happens to be a beekeeper. The book is billed as a “literary history” because of the continuous metaphor of the hive and the Christian society within the nunnery as well as within the world. If you like books where characters have a lot of inner dialog, and contemplation with slow moments of awakening, then you might enjoy this book. After almost a year of healing, Aine (now Cuinme) leaves the nunnery and returns to her home, and the book does contain some action. This was not a book I’d recommend to people who share my tastes in books.
The ending is a happy ending for almost everyone.
Great book if you are into historical fiction
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of the nuns of the 6th century and their ability to use the land for peace, sustenance, and healing. I became interested in knowing the names of the herbs and other plants they used, as these plants are probably still used today in holistic healing.
Loved it. A novel set in the time that Catholicism and Paganism were both extant in Ireland and the primary conflict is not between The pagans and the Church.
The language feels real but a reader may have occasional problems translating Gaelic here context is not clear.
Well done!
I like history, and when an author goes to length to research history and write a book like this it is worth it
Did not know about early Irish history until I read this book
Aside from a sprinkling of Gaelic word and phrases, I got no sense or feeling for the historical era (6th century Ireland) in which the story takes place.
I learned a lot about early Irish life. Book was based on actual historical happenings.
Very slow moving. Thought it would be more of an informative about life in that time period.
This is a story about human nature at rarely examined time in history. While the time when Christianity was just taking hold in what is now GB, the conflict the main character has to master is just as critical as a modern young woman faced with brutality and betrayal.
A very slow and thin story. Some research was passed on as fill for lack of action. Not very interesting. Author tried hard to write in some semblance of Olde language but did not succeed and writing was choppy. Gave up reading as had lost interest.
I liked that it represented every era has coming of age lessons we can all learn from.
I read it a few years ago and told everyone how amazing it was. Beautifully written !!!! A++++
Beautifully written but unusual. Emotionally demanding and occasionally difficult to read. Tragic yet inspiring.
I did not like it at all so I stopped reading early on.
Really interesting story of early Ireland uniquely told from a woman’s view of the world. Enjoyed seeing the ancient world from a strong woman’s perspective, subservient to the men in the world but exerting powerful influence via their clear understanding that power isn’t always positional and one’s sphere of influence is wide when operating with an understanding of community interests.