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An Uncertain Age
Justine’s life is uncertain when she meets Miles Peabody on the Eurostar. She has lost her job, her fiancé, everything except her dream of becoming an artist. Miles Peabody, a retired librarian and beekeeper, has always led a cautious, philosophical life. Now, faced with his mortality, he needs a miracle.
Drawn inexplicably to each other, their relationship is tested when Miles invites Justine to join him on a Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. But before she can answer, Miles goes missing. Desperate to find him, and nudged by the French police, Justine slips into a dark night of the soul. As her radical search turns inward, she begins to explore her faith (or lack of). The love letters of Abélard and Héloïse play a part—as do fractals, the physics of color, and Saint Teresa of Ávila’s excruciating visions. Also a rare, gnostic book, Secrets of the Epinoia, which is as elusive as its owner.
Helping Justine unravel the mystery of Miles are two Gwynneth, a lapsed Anglican, and Dara, a devout Hindu housekeeper (whose intentions Justine prays are good). Their cloistered world is turned upside-down when a charismatic visitor appears with the keys to Miles’s past. Haunted by questions of truth, betrayal, and loss, it seems they are all connected in an unlikely, even mystical way—whether in France or Spain, England, or far-off places around the globe.
An Uncertain Age by Ulrica Hume is a quirky, interfaith novel about astonishing grace, and longing in all its forms.
Drawn inexplicably to each other, their relationship is tested when Miles invites Justine to join him on a Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. But before she can answer, Miles goes missing. Desperate to find him, and nudged by the French police, Justine slips into a dark night of the soul. As her radical search turns inward, she begins to explore her faith (or lack of). The love letters of Abélard and Héloïse play a part—as do fractals, the physics of color, and Saint Teresa of Ávila’s excruciating visions. Also a rare, gnostic book, Secrets of the Epinoia, which is as elusive as its owner.
Helping Justine unravel the mystery of Miles are two Gwynneth, a lapsed Anglican, and Dara, a devout Hindu housekeeper (whose intentions Justine prays are good). Their cloistered world is turned upside-down when a charismatic visitor appears with the keys to Miles’s past. Haunted by questions of truth, betrayal, and loss, it seems they are all connected in an unlikely, even mystical way—whether in France or Spain, England, or far-off places around the globe.
An Uncertain Age by Ulrica Hume is a quirky, interfaith novel about astonishing grace, and longing in all its forms.
- GenresFiction
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2011
2 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Ulrica Hume
5 books36 followersUlrica Hume is the author of An Uncertain Age, a “wickedly sophisticated” spiritual mystery novel, which was longlisted for a Northern California Book Award. Her earlier work, House of Miracles, a collection of tales about love, was a finalist for the D.H. Lawrence Fellowship; the title story was selected by PEN and broadcast on NPR. She has written about tearooms, reading rooms, the seven deadly sins, and how 9/11 changed religion in America for the San Francisco Examiner, Poets & Writers Magazine, The Bloomsbury Review, and The Huffington Post, respectively. Her flash fiction can be found online, in literary journals, and in anthologies. She is also the author of In the Labyrinth. Find her on Twitter @uhume
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 13, 2013
Sophisticated, polished writing from Ulrica Hume
There are times when books come across our paths that seem unlikely ventures into literature, only to open them and be so captivated with the sheer beauty of the command of the English language that turning the pages is as much a joy of discovering the style and quality of the writing as is the story itself.
Ulrica Hume spins gold out of ink. She obviously is a highly educated person, rich in appreciation of philosophy, religion, literature, the science of color theory etc because she is able to so easily weave threads from all these arenas into her story in such a way that allows us all to learn as much about matters outside her book as we do about her characters she so surely paints.
AN UNCERTAIN AGE happens to be the age of our heroine (age 48 in years) who, disenfranchised and disenchanted with life in California, travels to France for mental refuge (think `Justine' from Durrell's Alexandria Quartet, as that is the name assigned our narrator). In a near Agatha Christie atmosphere on a train she encounters a strange English bloke and that happenstance meeting between two seemingly disparate characters blossoms into an adventure that takes our heroine into a plain of unexpected self discovery, allows the reader to learn about the junction between Catholicism/Anglicanism, Gnosticism, and Hinduism all in a manner that involves the introduction of new characters who enhance the mystery of the disappearance of the English bloke where the story begins. It is a mystery, a craving for love at an uncertain age when aspects of emotional stability and ardor seem out of reach, and a travelogue to some of the world's most interesting proscenium arches where Hume stages her intricate novel.
If the story at times strays away from linear development it matters little, as the writing of every page of this book is a visual and mental pleasure. This is the work of a writer of substance: where will she take us next?
Grady Harp
There are times when books come across our paths that seem unlikely ventures into literature, only to open them and be so captivated with the sheer beauty of the command of the English language that turning the pages is as much a joy of discovering the style and quality of the writing as is the story itself.
Ulrica Hume spins gold out of ink. She obviously is a highly educated person, rich in appreciation of philosophy, religion, literature, the science of color theory etc because she is able to so easily weave threads from all these arenas into her story in such a way that allows us all to learn as much about matters outside her book as we do about her characters she so surely paints.
AN UNCERTAIN AGE happens to be the age of our heroine (age 48 in years) who, disenfranchised and disenchanted with life in California, travels to France for mental refuge (think `Justine' from Durrell's Alexandria Quartet, as that is the name assigned our narrator). In a near Agatha Christie atmosphere on a train she encounters a strange English bloke and that happenstance meeting between two seemingly disparate characters blossoms into an adventure that takes our heroine into a plain of unexpected self discovery, allows the reader to learn about the junction between Catholicism/Anglicanism, Gnosticism, and Hinduism all in a manner that involves the introduction of new characters who enhance the mystery of the disappearance of the English bloke where the story begins. It is a mystery, a craving for love at an uncertain age when aspects of emotional stability and ardor seem out of reach, and a travelogue to some of the world's most interesting proscenium arches where Hume stages her intricate novel.
If the story at times strays away from linear development it matters little, as the writing of every page of this book is a visual and mental pleasure. This is the work of a writer of substance: where will she take us next?
Grady Harp
April 20, 2012
It's almost as if the stars draw Justine, an American woman who is seeking to have a more settled life, and Miles, an English man who seems to be obsessed with some of life's mysteries. They meet on the Eurostar and both of their lives change. Justine takes up residence in Miles' house in England and Miles is now missing.
Miles is obsessed with the story of Peter Abelard, someone that I was not familiar at all with. Abelard was a French scholar and philosopher that lived during medieval times (the 12 century specifically). Knowing what Abelard is about is key to understanding this book. Miles is especially focused on Abelard's relationship with Heloise, a young student who was known for her knowledge of languages. Heloise's uncle and caretaker eventually decided he had an issue with Heloise and Peter's relationship and castrated Peter and made Heloise go to the convent.
Abelard had the idea of Limbo, which was accepted by the Pope. In a way, Miles and Justine are both sort of in limbo. Miles especially is in limbo when he's missing and is on his own sort of spiritual and religious journey much like Abelard. Overtones of Abelard and Heloise's relationship are also definitely present between Miles and Justine.
The writing in this book is great. It kept me reading even when I was getting a little frustrated with the sort of background that is definitely important to know when reading this book. I think that those that really, really like philosophy and the idea of spirituality and where we find it in our own lives will get into this book. Full disclosure, I'm not a huge fan of philosophy and I definitely had to do a little research into some of the ideas throughout the book. It wasn't a deal breaker but it definitely took me out of the book a little bit. The writing really did keep me going!
Bottom line: This book may require some extra knowledge building but the writing is worth it.
Miles is obsessed with the story of Peter Abelard, someone that I was not familiar at all with. Abelard was a French scholar and philosopher that lived during medieval times (the 12 century specifically). Knowing what Abelard is about is key to understanding this book. Miles is especially focused on Abelard's relationship with Heloise, a young student who was known for her knowledge of languages. Heloise's uncle and caretaker eventually decided he had an issue with Heloise and Peter's relationship and castrated Peter and made Heloise go to the convent.
Abelard had the idea of Limbo, which was accepted by the Pope. In a way, Miles and Justine are both sort of in limbo. Miles especially is in limbo when he's missing and is on his own sort of spiritual and religious journey much like Abelard. Overtones of Abelard and Heloise's relationship are also definitely present between Miles and Justine.
The writing in this book is great. It kept me reading even when I was getting a little frustrated with the sort of background that is definitely important to know when reading this book. I think that those that really, really like philosophy and the idea of spirituality and where we find it in our own lives will get into this book. Full disclosure, I'm not a huge fan of philosophy and I definitely had to do a little research into some of the ideas throughout the book. It wasn't a deal breaker but it definitely took me out of the book a little bit. The writing really did keep me going!
Bottom line: This book may require some extra knowledge building but the writing is worth it.
March 4, 2012
At the beginning of Ulrica Hume's metaphysical and spiritual novel An Uncertain Age, Justine meets Miles Peabody on the Eurostar en route from London to Paris. While they appear to meet by chance, it's more likely destiny is involved. An aspiring artist, Justine is looking for certainty and stability after losing her job and her fiancé. A retired librarian, Miles is focused on twilight of life issues. They are drawn together despite their differences of age and lifestyle and end up site seeing together while Miles considers making the traditional Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. He wants Justine to accompany him; before she can decide what to do, Miles disappears on a routine errand in Chartres.
Miles is fascinated to the point of obsession with the tragic love story of the 12th century French philosopher Peter Abelard and his student Héloïse d’Argenteuil. In fact, it's nearly impossible for Justine to converse with him about anything without hearing what Abelard and Héloïse thought or did under similar circumstances. Abelard founded a monastery called the Oratory of the Paraclete. Some years after the powers that be forced Abelard and Héloïse into separate lives (both in religious orders) after their illicit affair was discovered, she ended up at the Paraclete as its abbess. In their honor, Miles' house in London is named The Paraclete.
The relationship between Justine and Miles takes on some of the overtones of Abelard and Héloïse's relationship. Inasmuch as destiny seldom presents its happenings with a definitive guidebook, it's impossible to say whether Miles and Justine are drawn together and then separated from each other because Miles wants to mimic Abelard's life as part of his own search for meaning or because their spiritual quests cannot move forward on the same path.
While much of Abelard's work was considered heresy by the church, he did convince the Pope to accept his doctrine of limbo. The irony here is that Miles' Abelard-like disappearance casts Justine into an ongoing temporal limbo. First, the nature and direction of their relationship could not be pinned down to Justine's satisfaction. When Miles disappears, the French police won't allow Justine to leave town until they are satisfied she is innocent of potential crimes that might explain his absence. When Miles isn't found and she is free to leave Chartres, Justine is uncertain what to do next because other than working on her art, her specific plans aren't well defined.
Wherever Justine is, she knows she will be waiting for Miles to return, perhaps as Héloïse longed for Abelard. Drawn to spiritual ideas, she seeks out a safe haven where she can ponder religious writings, work on her art and share her days with others of like mind. Those she ultimately meets on are missing something and are on their own quests based on the tenets of their diverse faiths.
The strengths of An Uncertain Age include the many layers of meaning flowing through the steps Justine, Miles and the other rather eccentric characters take while seamlessly sharing prospective routes to fulfillment that are traditionally at odds with each other. Hume's novel is well plotted, well crafted and well researched. Some readers may be turned away at Hume's characters' heavy reliance on quoting and pondering scholars and religious leaders. To some extent, the philosophy delays the story.
At the same time, the philosophy drives the story. An Uncertain Age has the depth and power to inspire readers to ponder their own choices while waiting for the moment when each of Hume's characters moves forward in faith or certainty instead of doing what Abelard and Héloïse would do. Hume's prose makes this journey a rewarding trip.
Miles is fascinated to the point of obsession with the tragic love story of the 12th century French philosopher Peter Abelard and his student Héloïse d’Argenteuil. In fact, it's nearly impossible for Justine to converse with him about anything without hearing what Abelard and Héloïse thought or did under similar circumstances. Abelard founded a monastery called the Oratory of the Paraclete. Some years after the powers that be forced Abelard and Héloïse into separate lives (both in religious orders) after their illicit affair was discovered, she ended up at the Paraclete as its abbess. In their honor, Miles' house in London is named The Paraclete.
The relationship between Justine and Miles takes on some of the overtones of Abelard and Héloïse's relationship. Inasmuch as destiny seldom presents its happenings with a definitive guidebook, it's impossible to say whether Miles and Justine are drawn together and then separated from each other because Miles wants to mimic Abelard's life as part of his own search for meaning or because their spiritual quests cannot move forward on the same path.
While much of Abelard's work was considered heresy by the church, he did convince the Pope to accept his doctrine of limbo. The irony here is that Miles' Abelard-like disappearance casts Justine into an ongoing temporal limbo. First, the nature and direction of their relationship could not be pinned down to Justine's satisfaction. When Miles disappears, the French police won't allow Justine to leave town until they are satisfied she is innocent of potential crimes that might explain his absence. When Miles isn't found and she is free to leave Chartres, Justine is uncertain what to do next because other than working on her art, her specific plans aren't well defined.
Wherever Justine is, she knows she will be waiting for Miles to return, perhaps as Héloïse longed for Abelard. Drawn to spiritual ideas, she seeks out a safe haven where she can ponder religious writings, work on her art and share her days with others of like mind. Those she ultimately meets on are missing something and are on their own quests based on the tenets of their diverse faiths.
The strengths of An Uncertain Age include the many layers of meaning flowing through the steps Justine, Miles and the other rather eccentric characters take while seamlessly sharing prospective routes to fulfillment that are traditionally at odds with each other. Hume's novel is well plotted, well crafted and well researched. Some readers may be turned away at Hume's characters' heavy reliance on quoting and pondering scholars and religious leaders. To some extent, the philosophy delays the story.
At the same time, the philosophy drives the story. An Uncertain Age has the depth and power to inspire readers to ponder their own choices while waiting for the moment when each of Hume's characters moves forward in faith or certainty instead of doing what Abelard and Héloïse would do. Hume's prose makes this journey a rewarding trip.
July 11, 2013
I wanted to like this book so much.... but I had a difficult time believing even the premise from the beginning. It was very hard to buy in to the rest of the story from that point. This book seems to have a very narrow audience, specifically one well-versed in ancient Christian church fathers, saints, and spiritual traditions from other religions, specifically Hinduism. While I do have a working knowledge of these things (perhaps more than the average reader, even) I was confused at best and lost most of the time. However, I was very excited about this book for several reasons: it was set in Paris and London (two of my favorite cities), it involves a pilgrimage along the Camino del Santiago de Compostela in Spain (I'd recently seen a movie about this, and learned that a friend's family lives along this route, and am interested in learning all I can, as I hope to one day travel this pilgrimage myself). Unfortunately, the time the main character spends in Paris in about 30 seconds, her time in London is spent as a recluse in a house that isn't hers, so you as the reader never really explore London, and much of the description of the Camino is told as a dream or hallucination. I was looking forward to spending time in these places I love, but was sorely disappointed at the thinly-veiled backdrop they provided for the religious grandstanding. I did not find the relationships formed by the characters to be at all realistic, and definitely not something I could relate to or connect with.... The entire novel, which promised to be about subjects on which I have much knowledge, and set in places I already know and love, was completely foreign and unfamiliar to me.
March 13, 2013
A story about life on life’s terms, with all its uncertainty. I’m not really much of a fiction reader, and the spirituality of the book is probably too subtle for a religion blog, so I don’t know that it was a good fit for me, really … yet once I began reading, I had a hard time setting it aside.
This story is a quest for purpose, by a middle-aged woman who seems to have lost ties with everything and everyone that once gave life meaning. She toys with religion, on a sort of intellectual level, trying to break through the intellectual shell to the experiential. She and her new friends find themselves “seeking something that is one breath, one heartbeat, one step away,” but with different approaches.
As it turns out, the spiritual side braids with the mundaneness of life, and the two cannot be torn apart. There is sadness in the story. It soon becomes apparent that even the most imaginative author would destroy the book’s theme by trying to tidy up all its confusion by book’s end … so we are left with a sort of melancholy realism. The draw of the characters, and the bizarre connection I felt to them, leaves me shaking my head. I can’t figure out if I’m happy to have read the story or not. I suspect I’ve fallen prey to precisely the emotions Hume wanted to evoke.
Lest my late-night meandering thoughts leave the wrong impression, I want to be clear that Hume writes with intelligence and feeling. A well-written, intriguing read.
This story is a quest for purpose, by a middle-aged woman who seems to have lost ties with everything and everyone that once gave life meaning. She toys with religion, on a sort of intellectual level, trying to break through the intellectual shell to the experiential. She and her new friends find themselves “seeking something that is one breath, one heartbeat, one step away,” but with different approaches.
As it turns out, the spiritual side braids with the mundaneness of life, and the two cannot be torn apart. There is sadness in the story. It soon becomes apparent that even the most imaginative author would destroy the book’s theme by trying to tidy up all its confusion by book’s end … so we are left with a sort of melancholy realism. The draw of the characters, and the bizarre connection I felt to them, leaves me shaking my head. I can’t figure out if I’m happy to have read the story or not. I suspect I’ve fallen prey to precisely the emotions Hume wanted to evoke.
Lest my late-night meandering thoughts leave the wrong impression, I want to be clear that Hume writes with intelligence and feeling. A well-written, intriguing read.
January 11, 2013
I found An Uncertain Age to be a very intriguing and compelling read, rich with historical and literary references. This, combined with the narrator’s spiritual introspection, makes for an analytical and thus slower read. Some of the prominent events and places discussed are centered around Catholic history, such as the persecution of Cathars, the story of Abélard and Héloïse, Chartres Cathedral, and the Basque region.
The themes of love, reality, fate, God and intent contribute to the story’s multitudinous layers and mysterious air. I highly enjoyed Justine and Miles’s rather deeply poetic and philosophical conversations (or is it relationship?) which—despite their varied backgrounds—highlights their shared appreciation of history and literature. There is a quote which I feel carries a lot of truth and which is worth reflecting upon:
“I am always surprised how life has a way of making catalysts of common things.” (pg. 267)
Among other subjects, it may inspire discussion surrounding the way the characters are brought together: chance or fate?
A skillfully crafted novel that’s well worth exploring.
The themes of love, reality, fate, God and intent contribute to the story’s multitudinous layers and mysterious air. I highly enjoyed Justine and Miles’s rather deeply poetic and philosophical conversations (or is it relationship?) which—despite their varied backgrounds—highlights their shared appreciation of history and literature. There is a quote which I feel carries a lot of truth and which is worth reflecting upon:
“I am always surprised how life has a way of making catalysts of common things.” (pg. 267)
Among other subjects, it may inspire discussion surrounding the way the characters are brought together: chance or fate?
A skillfully crafted novel that’s well worth exploring.
May 3, 2013
This novel was trying to be Robert Persig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - a journey mixed with philosophy - but fails miserably. It is mostly disjoint philosophy, jumping from topic to topic (it is as if the author is saying, "Why, yes, I am well read!") such as if an encyclopedia was being read, and the journey basically goes no where, with most of the major issues being unresolved. The only reason it did not receive only one star is that the author IS well read, and some of the topics he butterflys upon were fascinating. In addition, the book ends in places in Thailand to which I have been.
October 29, 2012
"Ulrica Hume - author of the non-fiction San Francisco in a Teacup: A Guidebook for Tea Lovers - has produced a début novel, An Uncertain Age, that stands firmly in the emerging visionary fiction genre.
When a middle-aged American woman, Justine, meets the very English Miles Peabody on the Eurostar to Paris, her life is as uncertain as her looks." (Excerpt from full review at For Books' Sake.)
When a middle-aged American woman, Justine, meets the very English Miles Peabody on the Eurostar to Paris, her life is as uncertain as her looks." (Excerpt from full review at For Books' Sake.)
July 5, 2012
An Uncertain Age takes you on an adventure of seeking meaning in one's life and exploring the unknown through the eyes of the main character, Justine. I find Hume's writing very lyrical, almost poetic. Each sentence has a richness and a rhythm to it that carries you to the next. It's like a good jazz solo that's intense, driving, and you wanna hear more. Hume doesn't disappoint! The momentum is sustained through the end. My only regret -- I didn't want it to end.
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February 25, 2016kindle 384 (metaphysical novel)
June 13, 2013
A highly intelligent, adventurous tale of one woman's quest for life, love, and self-discovery.
November 21, 2023
The book moved really slowly and ended uncertainly. Far from my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews