The Falcon Confession
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- $0.99
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
This historical thriller is a novel of layered secrets, fickle love, and tests of mettle. The story follows Edith, an ostracized noblewoman, and Aidan, a timid monastic novice, as they strive to protect a mysterious book from the conquering Normans. For this unlikely pair, the text with a golden falcon on the cover is more than just a precious treasure; it’s the vision of an endangered future. Chasing them is the rapacious Norman Bishop Odo, who lusts for the book’s destruction because the story contained therein would ruin him if it ever came to light. From the tranquil shores of Bosham, to the killing field near Hastings, and into the coronation hall of Westminster Abbey, the story shows how victims of history can persevere to forge lasting legacies of their own.
Firmly set against the backdrop of historical events, The Falcon Confession is a product of meticulous research, a wild imagination, and a belief that history books only tell half the story. Inspired by his grandmother’s research that traced his roots back to the Norman Conquest, the author has worked on this novel for the past six years. The work included research trips to the British Library, interviews with cathedral archivists, attendance at the 2006 Battle of Hastings reenactment, and the handling of ancient manuscripts at Worcester Abbey.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Debut novelist Norris tells this tale of the Norman Conquest well enough, but its subplot of nefarious intrigue rings hollow. In the summer of 1065, Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, returns from months of captivity in Normandy to England, where his old friend, Bishop Wulfstan, must hear his confession and see that it is recorded. Harold, Wulfstan, the young scribe Aidan, and Harold's wife, Edith Swanneschals, each face difficulties leading up to and following the battles of 1066. Harold, as Norris writes him, is seeking to foil the plans of Bishop Odo of Bayeaux, Duke William of Normandy's half-brother. To the modern reader, Odo's intentions to "destroy the Islamic realms" seem extreme, but they don't feel out of place for a medieval clergyman. The reactions of Harold, Wulfstan, and their circle to Odo's plans are more like those of contemporary people rather than people of the Middle Ages; at a time when war was a fact of life, Harold's and Wulfstan's recoiling seems out of place. Norris describes the battle action nicely, but the motivations don't fit. (BookLife)
