Cuthbert of Farne: A novel of Northumbria’s warrior saint(1 The Cuthbert Novels)

What made a young Anglo-Saxon warrior lay down his sword and enter a monastery? Why would he turn his back on wealth and position – and women? Seventh-century England is a time of war and religious divisions that threaten to split the Church. As a reconciler and peace-maker he is much loved by those around him, and his antagonist, the powerful Bishop Wilfrid, respects him. When Cuthbert’s vocation takes him to the windswept solitude of Inner Farne, his long-foretold destiny lies in wait for him. He is summoned back to become the most powerful churchman in the land. This gripping historical novel takes us to the heart of Cuthbert’s world and sheds new light on the life and times of the North’s favourite saint.

About the Author :
Katharine Tiernan is a Northumbrian by birth and spent many childhood afternoons on the shores of Lindisfarne. She studied English Literature at York University and worked as a teacher and community artist. By the turn of the millennium, both Katharine and her Australian husband were hankering for the wide-open spaces of the north and moved back to Northumberland. There she wrote her first novel, Place of Repose. Cuthbert of Farne sees Katharine return to the Anglo-Saxon world of early Christianity. It reflects her interests in literature, spirituality and the inspirational landscape of the north.

Review :
History teaches us that Saint Cuthbert was a monk and hermit in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. He was buried at Lindisfarne Abbey, but when his coffin was first moved, it was opened, and his body was found to be perfect, hence the saintly appellation. His remains now lie in Durham Cathedral and still attract visitors today. He was present at the Synod of Whitby in 664 AD when the final decision was made for the English Church to adopt the Roman Rule introduced by Saint Augustine rather than that practised by the Irish monks who brought Celtic Christianity to Iona much earlier. So much for the facts which come mainly from Bede and an earlier anonymous life written by the monks of Lindisfarne Abbey. In Cuthbert of Farne, Katharine Tiernan puts flesh on the bare bones of the members of the ruling family of the kingdom of Northumbria in the years before the Normans took possession of England. In addition, she shows us that the reaction to the decision made at Whitby was not as clear-cut or amicable as history tells us. Here, this is depicted in the dislike (or even hatred) between Cuthbert and Wilfred, also Northumbrian-born and both present at that Synod, each representing a side of the divide. The author is very much on Cuthbert’s side and, although the author takes his point of view, I would have preferred more balance in her depiction of these two men. However, what I did like, because it was refreshing, is that the author focuses on the wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts of these belligerent Saxon menfolk. Partly because I have often visited and love the iconic seascapes of the novel’s settings—Melrose, Lindisfarne, Bamburgh and Whitby—and because the experiences of women (plus the monks and nuns) of Anglo-Saxon history too often are neglected, I thoroughly recommend this well-written novel. A good introductory novel for those with a fledgling interest in Anglo-Saxon religion and politics. Tiernan has a flair for psychological insight and an imagination that fills in the gaps in the historical record without ever doing violence to what is likely. She is also possessed of a vivid visual imagination, and an illuminator’s eye for small details. This is a highly pleasurable and intelligent piece of historical fiction.