And March begins!
25. Ellis Peters, The Sanctuary Sparrow
In the spring of 1140, all is remarkably peaceful in the small town of Shrewsbury. As the monks at the local Benedictine abbey begin their evening prayer, however, this calm is disrupted by a terrified youth who runs into the church and claims sanctuary. An angry mob is at his heels, loudly accusing him of robbery and murder of the local goldsmith. The boy, Liliwen, is a wandering acrobat and minstrel who had been hired to play at the wedding of the goldsmith’s son. He swears his innocence, but the mob is out for his blood. Now Liliwen has 40 days’ respite until he must be delivered to the law, and Brother Cadfael must find out the truth before time runs out.
I started reading this series years ago, and I absolutely loved it; yet for some reason, I stopped continuing with the series after book six (The Virgin in the Ice). I honestly forgot how much I enjoyed these books. I love the medieval setting, which Peters describes with grace and charm. Brother Cadfael is a wise and likeable detective, with a soft spot for young lovers and underdogs. I also find it interesting how the religious and temporal authorities intertwine with each other - a relationship with particular significance in this book, since the right of sanctuary is somewhat at odds with the secular justice. The Sanctuary Sparrow is typical fare for the series - very enjoyable, with a somewhat darker ending than some of the earlier books. It’s not my favorite of the series so far (that would be One Corpse Too Many), but it was certainly no disappointment, and now that I’ve rediscovered the series I’ll have to move on to book eight soon!
And now I need advice...I've got some books from the library, but I can't decide which to read next! The options are: The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty (Southern lit, Pulitzer winner), The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin (fantasy, Earthsea cycle), Cressida by Clare Darcy (Regency fluff), and My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier (modern gothic). Any opinions?