A Memory of Lions

by Parke Godwin

It was a time of conquest and cruelty, of the clash of iron chains and armor, of French blood on English soil. Here Gerlaine de Neuville comes with her family to claim their fiefdom and build their own noble line.

But Saxons, they discover, do not take so easily to the yoke. And one of them, half a lord by birth--learned, tall, and fearless--cannot be cowed. He is Gurth Bastard, the man Gerlaine cannot own and cannot help but love.

Love, war...twins in this dark age. And when the bloodstained hand of a Saxon strikes those dear to her, Gerlaine will hate the man she loves will all her heart...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction

277 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Parke Godwin was an American writer known for his lyrical yet precise prose style and sardonic humor. He was also known for his novels of legendary figures placed in realistic historical settings; his retelling of the Arthur legend (Firelord in 1980, Beloved Exile in 1984, and The Last Rainbow in 1985) is set in the 5th century during the collapse of the Roman empire, and his reinterpretation of Robin Hood (Sherwood, 1991, and Robin and the King, 1993) takes place during the Norman conquest and features kings William the Conqueror and William Rufus as major characters. His other well-known works include Waiting For The Galactic Bus (1988) and its sequel The Snake Oil Wars (1989), humorous critiques of American pop culture and religion.

Parke Godwin also worked as a radio operator, a research technician, a professional actor, an advertising man, a dishwasher and a maitre d' hotel.

Godwin's short fiction has appeared in several anthologies. His short story "Influencing the Hell out of Time and Teresa Golowitz," was the basis of an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an old, somewhat beat-up paperback published in 1976 that I finally got around to reading. And I'm glad I did. It's by Parke Godwin (1929-2013), an author whom I thought was an excellent writer, based on a book of his that I have read--"Firelord." I felt it was the best novel I have read about King Arthur. In this book, we are in England in 1073, seven years after the decisive Battle of Hastings, in which the Normans under William the Conqueror destroyed the Anglo-Saxon army under King Harold. It was the end of Anglo-Saxon England, as the ruthless William imposed the Norman system of feudalism on England.
In this story, we have the beautiful Norman lady Gerlaine de Neuville, whose father controls a castle and the surrounding area--and population-- in a rather remote part of Northern England. Gerlaine falls in love with Gurth, a handsome ( of course!) Saxon, who is rather reckless indeed. Of course, it's a forbidden love affair and Gurth has to become a rebel against Norman rule in order to survive. A one ( or two?)-man- guerrilla war is launched against the Norman occupiers. I kept turning pages to see how it would all work out for Gurth-- and I was cheering on the Saxons. I knew that the Normans were in England to stay...but I hoped that Gurth could win some kind of victory against the oppressors, at least in his part of England.
While not as good as "Firelord," the book was actually better than I expected it to be!.. After finishing it, I had to stop and think for a moment that I'm just glad I didn't live back then. With the pandemic- and all the other problems we have- I'd much rather be here and now than anywhere in the 11th Century!

[Misfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...that's a devil out there. A devil who only looks like a man. I don't want to meet him unshriven."

Or is it a devil? The story begins after the Conquest, after the Harrying of the North, as the de Neuville family rebuilds on the northern lands awarded them by King William. The Saxons may be conquered, but their customs, laws and mindset constantly clash with that of the Normans, and the Normans don't give a d*** about what the Saxons want.

De Neuville's daughter Gerlaine is attracted to Gurth, the illegitimate son of the former Saxon lord, but when their relationship is discovered Gurth receives a brutal punishment at the hands of Gerlaine's father With tensions already high, the Norman violation of the Saxon's sacred "hearth right" brings on horrific consequences as the outraged Gurth demands wergild (man payment). Gerlaine holds to her love for Gurth until the punishments against her family becomes too dear and love changes to hatred and revenge.....

There's actually a whole lot more to it than that but you really do need to read it for yourself, I don't want to spoil it for you. Despite what the somewhat cheesy cover implies, this is not a romance novel - this is very dark story about the struggles between two completely disparate cultures. I really enjoyed Godwin's writing, it's very subtle and understated and you do have to pay attention or you'll end up backtracking. This was just a really great read with quite a surprise twist at the end and I am looking forward to more from this author. I understand he's written one on Harold Godwinsson as well as a series on Robin Hood.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this on the heels of Nora Lofts "Madselin" allowed me to compare two historical fiction treatments of life in England during the mid-11th century, soon after the Norman conquest. The clash of cultures is the focus of both. In this book, the clash is more dramatic and gruesome. Through its triple-headed plot--history, love story, and murder mystery--"A Memory of Lions" covers events of 1073 in northern England.

While both the Norman and Saxon cultures were violent with brutal enforcement of each party's rules and laws, their social-political values and structures differed sharply. Norman characteristics: orthodox Catholicism; hierarchical, authoritarian relationships; highly organized systems of operating; inherited leadership. Saxon characteristics: Catholicism blended with earlier, earthier spiritual beliefs and practices; quasi-egalitarian and collaborative; consultative and selected leadership. With the benefit of almost 1,000 years of hindsight, one can see the strength that would eventually be realized through the marriage of such cultural differences. However, in the immediate aftermath of conquest we see their bloody conflict instead. Fatal misunderstandings result from failure to comprehend and respect each other's language and deeply held beliefs. The expediency of imposed authority and deadly revenge is pursued.

I found the characters mostly one dimensional. Many were vivid but lacked much shading or texture.

Since my knowledge of this period in history is very limited, I welcomed learning more about it through this robust story.

[JHM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful novel combines historical fiction (featuring Godwin's expert grasp of early English history), romance, and a murder mystery.

[Claire]

Hurray my copy has arrived! Now I can get started.

[Sheila Speidel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it multiple times..one of my favorites.
Wish it was on Kindle.
A great medieval.
2nd to Madselin