What do you think?
Rate this book
A candle at dusk
In spite of his recent betrothal and his fear of a Saracen invasion, an eighth-century Frankish boy obtains his father's skeptical permission to live for a time at the neighboring abbey in order to learn to read.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
About the author
E.M. Almedingen
71 books6 followersBritish novelist, biographer and children's author of Russian origin, born Marta Aleksandrovna Almedingen and also known as Martha Edith Almedingen or von Almedingen.
On her mother's side, she was descended from the aristocratic Poltoratsky family; her maternal grandfather was Serge Poltoratzky, the literary scholar and bibliophile who ended his days in exile, shuttling between France and England. His daughter Olga, the novelist's mother, grew up in Kent but was fascinated by her father's native Russia, where she moved in the early 1880s and married Alexander Almedingen, who had turned his back on his family's military traditions to become a scientist. In 1900 he abandoned his family and they lived in increasingly impoverished circumstances, well described in her memoir Tomorrow Will Come, but the author was able to attend the Xenia Institute and eke out a living in the increasingly desperate times of revolution and civil war. She attended Petrograd University and became a lecturer in English and mediaeval history there in the early 1920's.
In September 1922 she managed to get permission to leave the country and went to England, where she became a well-known children's author. In 1941 she won the $5,000 Atlantic Monthly nonfiction prize for Tomorrow Will Come.
She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1951 and received the Book World Festival award in 1968.
On her mother's side, she was descended from the aristocratic Poltoratsky family; her maternal grandfather was Serge Poltoratzky, the literary scholar and bibliophile who ended his days in exile, shuttling between France and England. His daughter Olga, the novelist's mother, grew up in Kent but was fascinated by her father's native Russia, where she moved in the early 1880s and married Alexander Almedingen, who had turned his back on his family's military traditions to become a scientist. In 1900 he abandoned his family and they lived in increasingly impoverished circumstances, well described in her memoir Tomorrow Will Come, but the author was able to attend the Xenia Institute and eke out a living in the increasingly desperate times of revolution and civil war. She attended Petrograd University and became a lecturer in English and mediaeval history there in the early 1920's.
In September 1922 she managed to get permission to leave the country and went to England, where she became a well-known children's author. In 1941 she won the $5,000 Atlantic Monthly nonfiction prize for Tomorrow Will Come.
She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1951 and received the Book World Festival award in 1968.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 1, 2021
Set in the time is Charlemagne's grandfather (8th century). Tells us the story of the young Frankish boy Idrun, who wants desperately to learn his letters, but his stern, unyielding father sees no sense in it.
We go (slowly) through the seasons and daily life of the 8th century Frank's, both the freeborn, Manor holding, rough justice class, and the serfs. We visit the abbey, holder of books, letters and learning, home of good and godly men as well as greedy scoundrels.
We learn something of the Monk Defensor and his remarkable Liber Scintillarum ("The Book of Sparks"), possibly the oldest commonplace book.
Enjoyable, interesting to one interested in 8th century life, but it lacks some spark and vigour that would have earned it a fourth star.
We go (slowly) through the seasons and daily life of the 8th century Frank's, both the freeborn, Manor holding, rough justice class, and the serfs. We visit the abbey, holder of books, letters and learning, home of good and godly men as well as greedy scoundrels.
We learn something of the Monk Defensor and his remarkable Liber Scintillarum ("The Book of Sparks"), possibly the oldest commonplace book.
Enjoyable, interesting to one interested in 8th century life, but it lacks some spark and vigour that would have earned it a fourth star.
April 22, 2021
I'm a Librarian so any book that offers some history about libraries is interesting to me. So I did enjoy learning about this 8th century library at the Abbey of Liguge - and I could totally relate to the passion and love that the bookish characters (young Idrun and his teacher, Dom Defensor) showed about reading and writing. I also enjoyed the blooming romance of Idrun and his betrothed, Judith. I would love to read a sequel of some sort that tells us how their love and respect for each other develops.
The anxiety, isolation and stress portrayed in the story about the threat of the Saracen/Arab invasion came across as very realistic and the reader can easily become a part of that through the author's excellent description of the situation. There is heartbreak at the end of the story but also hope and so I closed the book feeling satisfied about how things concluded. I was actually a little surprised that I did enjoy the book considering it was published in 1969 but the story was well-written, even though things moved along rather slowly at times.
The anxiety, isolation and stress portrayed in the story about the threat of the Saracen/Arab invasion came across as very realistic and the reader can easily become a part of that through the author's excellent description of the situation. There is heartbreak at the end of the story but also hope and so I closed the book feeling satisfied about how things concluded. I was actually a little surprised that I did enjoy the book considering it was published in 1969 but the story was well-written, even though things moved along rather slowly at times.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews