Three reasons: Arledge is a name from Norwich, England. Our family genealogist found several in the 14th Century there, so I was delighted to find this novel. According to the novel, the name may be a French Norman derivative.

Other reason I gave the book four stars is that I was fascinated with all the gritty details of daily life the author wove into the plot. As well as my favorite English mystic -- not too hard to write that, not sure I know many others except of course THE POETS -- Julian of Norwich. She was pre-Anglican, pre-Henry VIII, so Roman Catholic, but not a nun, an anchorite, anchored to the church.

Julian, the name ascribed to her probably not her name at all but the church where she was wise spiritual director and mystic, walled into a cell attached to the modest church of St. Julian (a pope). Julian is best known for her theology of God as a loving mother. Somehow not heresy in her adroit language but of the deep loving kindness she experienced in visions of the Easter story. She wrote of the metaphor of the hazelnut, so tiny, yet so loved.

And all will be well.

You may know that teaching. Well, Vantrease manages to tell a story where practically nothing goes well. A dark, ugly, mean time for people, animals and places, 14th century Europe - England. Yet the author skillfully weaves Julian throughout the fiction inter-relating landowner, cook, eel-fisher, artist, clergy, solider, monk. It's a bit of Robin Hood without the glamour; some history, romance and biblical illumination techniques. I respect the sweep of the novel, giving me a full fictionalize picture of how my ancestors may have survived those times. They had to wily, for sure. Danger, disease, ignorance, superstition, bad food, worse storage -- vividly portrayed but not off putting. Interesting. I don't race through a dark book - hardly can stand to read them. But Vantrease, perhaps thanks to her love of Julian, enticed me through the whole novel in four days. While I was busy finishing writing a play: first draft, needed breaks and change of pace. I recommend this book to all 2500 Arledges Pam Wilson has found. And everybody else who likes English genre, medieval historical fiction.