I received a free book for my honest review.
About the Book:
Publication Date: January 22, 2014
Campanile Press
Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Medieval
A tragic loss. A desperate journey. A mother seeks the truth.
In December of 1377, four children were burned to death in a house fire. Villagers traveled hundreds of miles across England to demand justice for their children’s deaths.
Sinful Folk is the story of this terrible mid-winter journey as seen by Mear, a former nun who has lived for a decade disguised as a mute man, raising her son quietly in this isolated village. For years, she has concealed herself and all her history. But on this journey, she will find the strength to redeem the promise of her past. Mear begins her journey in terror and heartache, and ends in triumph and transcendence.
The remarkable new novel by Ned Hayes, illustrated by New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Nikki McClure, Sinful Folk illuminates the medieval era with profound insight and compassion.
About the Author:
Ned Hayes is the author of the Amazon best-selling historical novel SINFUL FOLK. He is also the author of Coeur d’Alene Waters, a noir mystery set in the Pacific Northwest. He is now at work on a new novel, Garden of Earthly Delights, also set in the Middle Ages.
Ned Hayes is a candidate for an MFA from the Rainier Writer’s Workshop, and holds graduate degrees in English and Theology from Western Washington University and Seattle University.
Born in China, he grew up bi-lingually, speaking both Mandarin and English. He now lives in Olympia, Washington with his wife and two children.
For more information please visit www.sinfulfolk.com and www.nednote.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Booklikes, YouTube, Google+, and Goodreads.
My Opinion:
The synopsis of this book intrigued from the first time I read it. What must a woman be concealing to live for so long as a mute man? How in heaven’s name does she get away with it for so long? It piqued my curiosity; so many questions – what were the answers?
Mear is the narrator of the tale and it begins in great tragedy with a fire that kills four young men of the village. But the fire seems to be more than an accident. Why did someone want to kill their boys? It was a time of great resentment against the Jews so the immediate response is to blame them despite there being no evidence. Superstition was a powerful force in medieval times. The men of the village decide to take the bodies of their boys on the road to get justice. I have to admit that I didn’t understand this motivation plot point. Trying to do so just caused me all kinds of brain twists so I just went with the flow. Once I did it was easier to read the story.
Easier on one level anyway – there is a fair amount of violence in the book, particularly against Mear. It was honestly, a bit excessive at times. It was this that lowered the rating for me. The overall story was very compelling and full of twists and turns. It was a dark time in history for many reasons. Mr. Hayes portrays the period very well and I was carried along in his tale of love and power.
Rating:
4
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You can purchase Sinful Folk on Amazon.com
The Giveaway:
One lucky US reader will win a copy of Sinful Folk. Just follow the instructions on the Gleam widget. Good luck everyone. I also would like to remind you that you can only win one copy of the book. If you should be lucky enough to win on another blog you cannot win again here.
