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Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England
As Stephen Long steps ashore in England one gray dawn in May 1581, he wonders how many more Catholics will have to die to make Queen Elizabeth feel secure. Involuntarily, he trembles at the thought that soon he may be numbered among them. For in the days ahead, each time Stephen hears confession or celebrates Mass, he commits yet another act of high treason against the British Crown, for which Queen Elizabeth's swift penalty is gruesome torture and painful death. As Stephen hastens to find shelter away from that open beach, he struggles not only with fear but with doubt as "Is my mission foolish? Am I nothing more than fresh meat for the queen's butchers?" In the light of that same gray dawn, just a few miles north, a heartbroken Caroline Wingate lies awake in her unhappy marriage bed, wrestling with thoughts of a different -- perhaps crueler -- martyrdom. Although from her earliest years Caroline has known herself to be called to cloistered contemplative life as a nun, some years ago she was forced by her father into a politically "safe" marriage with an upright Protestant, from whom she must hide her Catholicism -- and her true -- vocation lest she, too, be executed for her faith. Hanging by the neck is swift martyrdom, but Caroline's doubts and guilt have pained her daily for years now. An exile in her own soul, in her lonely desolation she confesses, "I don't love my husband as I should. For safety's sake, I cannot give myself wholly to him and must deceive him daily. Nor can I give myself to the One I truly love." In a few days, circumstances will force Caroline and the young priest together. With death hastening toward both of them, the beautiful fates of these two faithful Catholics confirm what we today too often our faith is the most powerful force in the world -- more powerful than politics, wars, or empires. More powerful even than the hard, cold will of Queen Elizabeth. In this gripping, heartrending tale, Caroline and Stephen show us that it's not power that writes the true history of the world; it's faith and the love that faith alone can awaken and sustain.
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
13 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Dena Hunt
5 books13 followersDena Hunt taught English at the University of New Orleans until her conversion to Christianity in 1984. Following her reception into the Roman Catholic Church, she returned to her native Georgia and taught in rural high schools for the next twenty years. It was not until after her retirement and a pilgrimage to England in 2006 that she started writing. Since then, she has published many short stories, essays, and reviews in print and online.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 29, 2013
Except for one issue of historical accuracy, I found the book to be an exciting and effective story about recusant Catholics and missionary priests in Elizabethan England.
Matching the achievement of Robert Hugh Benson in depicting the religious conflict and crisis of Reformation England, Dena Hunt adds the element of suspense in Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabeth England. With omniscient narration weaving several different story lines in several different locations to a seven day plot, Hunt depicts the underground lives of a missionary priest, the recusant Catholics who shelter him, an unhappily wed wife, an Anglican minister who secretly reads Catholic texts from the Fathers of the Church, and a wealthy family whose home hides many secrets. The various plot lines all come together on the seventh day, and the epilogue depicts the Eighth Day, when two vocations are fulfilled.
Readers of Benson will recognize one of the supporting characters in Hunt's ensemble: Patricia, the Reverend Andrew Wilson's wife resembles Lady Torridon of "The King's Achievement" in her cold demeanor and dark black eyes and Marion Dent, the Rector's wife in "By What Authority?" in her effect on the recusant Catholics in her village--but without the ducking! But where Benson builds up the tension year after year from 1570 to 1581 and beyond, Hunt presents all that action rapidly, as the main characters meet along the way until they gather at the Anders' home in Somerset and the chaotic climax of the story.
While Hunt keeps up the pace and the novel reads swiftly and easily, she does pause for passages of beautiful description--like this, when Caroline, one of the main characters, explores the grounds of a destroyed convent years after Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries:
"The emptiness of it all was so strangely full--like its silence, so deep that it was full of sound. Everything, every place in this ruin, was full of its own contradiction, like two worlds existing together, in the same place, at the same time. How could that be? It was as though there had been a sketch over which a contradictory overlay had been placed in an attempt to eradicate it. But that hadn't happened. Instead, the two realities existed together, and instead of the intended contradiction, the overlay had made something else altogether. Destruction had been transformed into creation--its intention notwithstanding--and it was a creation greater, more beautiful, than the reality it meant to destroy. Destruction had succeeded only in making it eternal."
There are other passages of similar depth as the characters try to reconcile how much they have to hide with how much they want to share their faith and love. Each of them struggles with what they must do to remain true to that faith and love while striving to survive. As Father Stephen tells Caroline when she confesses deceit, "Everyone has to be deceptive now."
The only quarrel I have with the book is the year in which Hunt sets it: 1581. It was not an act of treason to be a Catholic priest in England in 1581; that law was not passed until 1585. The great litany of martyred priests had not yet begun in 1581 as the English mission was redeveloping slowly after the execution of Cuthbert Mayne in 1577; Saints Edmund Campion, Ralph Sherwin, and Alexander Briant would suffer on December 1, 1581. If Father Stephen Long or the two other priests mentioned in the story were to be sentenced to death for treason in the May of 1581, it would not have been for their priesthood and presence in England per se; it would have been for their efforts to convert Anglicans (1581 law), for defending papal supremacy in the Church (1563 law), or for calling Elizabeth a heretic or a schismatic (1571). After 1585, it would be treason for a Jesuit or seminary priest to enter the country (27 Eliz., c. 2)--and I think that Hunt would have done well to set her Catholic novel of Elizabethan England after 1585.
Contents:
Introduction by Joseph Pearce
Preface by Dena Hunt
Prologue
1. The twenty-first of May, in 1581 (in Devonshire)
2. The same day, in Somerset
3. The next morning, May 22, in Blexton
4. The following day, May 23, on the road to Bath
5. The morning of May 24, at The Rose and Thorn
6. The evening of the same day, May 24
7. The morning of May 25
8. The morning of May 26
9. The afternoon of the same day, the twenty-sixth of May
10. The twenty-seventh of May
Epilogue: The fifteenth day of August 1581
It's a very effective historical novel; well-paced and plotted: highly recommended. Note that I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Matching the achievement of Robert Hugh Benson in depicting the religious conflict and crisis of Reformation England, Dena Hunt adds the element of suspense in Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabeth England. With omniscient narration weaving several different story lines in several different locations to a seven day plot, Hunt depicts the underground lives of a missionary priest, the recusant Catholics who shelter him, an unhappily wed wife, an Anglican minister who secretly reads Catholic texts from the Fathers of the Church, and a wealthy family whose home hides many secrets. The various plot lines all come together on the seventh day, and the epilogue depicts the Eighth Day, when two vocations are fulfilled.
Readers of Benson will recognize one of the supporting characters in Hunt's ensemble: Patricia, the Reverend Andrew Wilson's wife resembles Lady Torridon of "The King's Achievement" in her cold demeanor and dark black eyes and Marion Dent, the Rector's wife in "By What Authority?" in her effect on the recusant Catholics in her village--but without the ducking! But where Benson builds up the tension year after year from 1570 to 1581 and beyond, Hunt presents all that action rapidly, as the main characters meet along the way until they gather at the Anders' home in Somerset and the chaotic climax of the story.
While Hunt keeps up the pace and the novel reads swiftly and easily, she does pause for passages of beautiful description--like this, when Caroline, one of the main characters, explores the grounds of a destroyed convent years after Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries:
"The emptiness of it all was so strangely full--like its silence, so deep that it was full of sound. Everything, every place in this ruin, was full of its own contradiction, like two worlds existing together, in the same place, at the same time. How could that be? It was as though there had been a sketch over which a contradictory overlay had been placed in an attempt to eradicate it. But that hadn't happened. Instead, the two realities existed together, and instead of the intended contradiction, the overlay had made something else altogether. Destruction had been transformed into creation--its intention notwithstanding--and it was a creation greater, more beautiful, than the reality it meant to destroy. Destruction had succeeded only in making it eternal."
There are other passages of similar depth as the characters try to reconcile how much they have to hide with how much they want to share their faith and love. Each of them struggles with what they must do to remain true to that faith and love while striving to survive. As Father Stephen tells Caroline when she confesses deceit, "Everyone has to be deceptive now."
The only quarrel I have with the book is the year in which Hunt sets it: 1581. It was not an act of treason to be a Catholic priest in England in 1581; that law was not passed until 1585. The great litany of martyred priests had not yet begun in 1581 as the English mission was redeveloping slowly after the execution of Cuthbert Mayne in 1577; Saints Edmund Campion, Ralph Sherwin, and Alexander Briant would suffer on December 1, 1581. If Father Stephen Long or the two other priests mentioned in the story were to be sentenced to death for treason in the May of 1581, it would not have been for their priesthood and presence in England per se; it would have been for their efforts to convert Anglicans (1581 law), for defending papal supremacy in the Church (1563 law), or for calling Elizabeth a heretic or a schismatic (1571). After 1585, it would be treason for a Jesuit or seminary priest to enter the country (27 Eliz., c. 2)--and I think that Hunt would have done well to set her Catholic novel of Elizabethan England after 1585.
Contents:
Introduction by Joseph Pearce
Preface by Dena Hunt
Prologue
1. The twenty-first of May, in 1581 (in Devonshire)
2. The same day, in Somerset
3. The next morning, May 22, in Blexton
4. The following day, May 23, on the road to Bath
5. The morning of May 24, at The Rose and Thorn
6. The evening of the same day, May 24
7. The morning of May 25
8. The morning of May 26
9. The afternoon of the same day, the twenty-sixth of May
10. The twenty-seventh of May
Epilogue: The fifteenth day of August 1581
It's a very effective historical novel; well-paced and plotted: highly recommended. Note that I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 24, 2013
A powerful story, beautifully written. Think you know about British history? Think again--this "week in the life" of secret Catholics during the Elizabethan era will open your eyes. The author has captured the spirit of the time through well-drawn characters and a compelling plot. Highly recommended for ages 15 and up.
July 12, 2018
I happened to read this right after I read Goodbye, Good Men by Michael Rose. I am glad I did. After the ugliness of the first book (a must read), Treason showed a most beautiful depiction of all a priest should be.
June 3, 2015
This was a really interesting read if for no other reason than it examined the paranoia and cruelty extant around recusants during the latter part of Elizabeth 1st’s reign - 1581. Focussing on a small cast of mostly Catholics, who are hiding their faith and the various rites that form part of their belief system from the Protestant majority, the novel, which occurs over a few days, explores their desperation and fear.
There are two principal characters around which the rest of the cast orbit: a young woman who desires to be a nun but was forced into marriage with a Protestant to protect her, and a freshly minted priest sent to English shores by the Society of Jesus to offer solace to English Catholics and convert other souls.
Because it’s told from the Catholic point of view alone, it does read like propaganda, the reign of “Bloody Mary” - where a few hundred “heretic” Protestants were put to death, and the mass slaughter of the Hugenots across France and other parts of Europe - conveniently forgotten. Likewise, the fact two Popes issued Bulls against Queen Elizabeth, offering to pardon anyone for murdering her, as she was a heretic, thus encouraging civil war and worse, is overlooked as the tragedy and betrayal of these good Catholic folk is portrayed.
With few exceptions, Protestants are very much the villains in this novel. They’re either bloodthirsty hunters of Catholic souls or vainglorious and self-righteous about Catholics and gloating in the deaths and exposure.
In the end, this is what troubled me; how black and white the book appeared. I didn’t mind reading about the whole religious schism and fears of plots and heretics and what it signified for the Queen and government from a Catholic point of view at all. Writing in this period myself and having spent now almost two years immersed in it, the whole question of religion and how political as well as personal it was is utterly fascinating and distressing. Knowledge of the early Renaissance (and other historical periods) also reveal how many wars and injustices, as well as bloody murder, have been committed in the name of God. This is by no means a modern phenomenon. We really haven’t learnt from history. What I didn’t like was the reductive way in which both sides of the religious coin were portrayed – as simplistic “goodies” or “baddies” – even though some of the characters themselves were really interesting beyond and because of their faith. While the novel is mostly historically accurate, a few more shades of grey would have also reflected the actual period, as well as the politics and even religion better as well.
Nonetheless, it was interesting to read about this fraught time from a different, if very myopic religious, point of view.
There are two principal characters around which the rest of the cast orbit: a young woman who desires to be a nun but was forced into marriage with a Protestant to protect her, and a freshly minted priest sent to English shores by the Society of Jesus to offer solace to English Catholics and convert other souls.
Because it’s told from the Catholic point of view alone, it does read like propaganda, the reign of “Bloody Mary” - where a few hundred “heretic” Protestants were put to death, and the mass slaughter of the Hugenots across France and other parts of Europe - conveniently forgotten. Likewise, the fact two Popes issued Bulls against Queen Elizabeth, offering to pardon anyone for murdering her, as she was a heretic, thus encouraging civil war and worse, is overlooked as the tragedy and betrayal of these good Catholic folk is portrayed.
With few exceptions, Protestants are very much the villains in this novel. They’re either bloodthirsty hunters of Catholic souls or vainglorious and self-righteous about Catholics and gloating in the deaths and exposure.
In the end, this is what troubled me; how black and white the book appeared. I didn’t mind reading about the whole religious schism and fears of plots and heretics and what it signified for the Queen and government from a Catholic point of view at all. Writing in this period myself and having spent now almost two years immersed in it, the whole question of religion and how political as well as personal it was is utterly fascinating and distressing. Knowledge of the early Renaissance (and other historical periods) also reveal how many wars and injustices, as well as bloody murder, have been committed in the name of God. This is by no means a modern phenomenon. We really haven’t learnt from history. What I didn’t like was the reductive way in which both sides of the religious coin were portrayed – as simplistic “goodies” or “baddies” – even though some of the characters themselves were really interesting beyond and because of their faith. While the novel is mostly historically accurate, a few more shades of grey would have also reflected the actual period, as well as the politics and even religion better as well.
Nonetheless, it was interesting to read about this fraught time from a different, if very myopic religious, point of view.
October 15, 2020
Definitely one of the best books I have read recently. This is a well-written account not merely of a historical time period,(Elizabethan England) but a reflection on the lives and souls of people who lived during that time. How it must have been for some. This is a close look at how lives are intertwined and how one person's lie can affect everyone, even in the most intimate manner. There are really three stories here, more if you count the individuals, but the storylines mix together to form a whole picture that demonstrates clearly the hardship of trying to choose between loyalty to country, to God, to family, and even loyalty to self. The writing is beautiful and the serious sensitivity Dena Hunt shows to everyone is enlightening. It helps to know that even villains have problems - even when they don't see the connections between their choices and their lives. Perhaps, as readers, we can see things a little more clearly. There's always hope.
December 19, 2013
“It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears the way for the grace which transforms human souls.” – Blessed Pope John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris
This quote by Blessed John Paul II could well be the theme of Dena Hunt’s exquisite novel, Treason, which takes place in 16th Century England when Catholicism was outlawed. Suffering for the faith in our current North American culture is something most modern Catholics have never considered. Religious apathy is evidenced by half-filled churches and the large numbers of Catholics who openly dissent from Church teachings on abortion, contraception, same sex unions and premarital sex.
Read more: http://catholicfiction.net/book-revie...
This quote by Blessed John Paul II could well be the theme of Dena Hunt’s exquisite novel, Treason, which takes place in 16th Century England when Catholicism was outlawed. Suffering for the faith in our current North American culture is something most modern Catholics have never considered. Religious apathy is evidenced by half-filled churches and the large numbers of Catholics who openly dissent from Church teachings on abortion, contraception, same sex unions and premarital sex.
Read more: http://catholicfiction.net/book-revie...
August 3, 2020
Dena Hunt takes a slice-of-life approach to portray the persecution of everyday English Catholics under Queen Elizabeth in 1581. Even though I knew the terrible history of this persecution, I did not appreciate the insidious nature of this situation until I read this work of historical fiction. Building to a powerful and compelling finish, Dena Hunt helps us to appreciate the religious freedoms that we have today and to recognize how quickly rights can be lost, even in civilized society. A must-read for any high school history class covering the Elizabethan Era.
August 14, 2013
Recently published by Sophia Press, this is one of the best Catholic novels I've read in a long time! Rich, beautiful imagery, solid writing, well-developed characters, compelling Catholic story...wow! What more can I say? This book has it all. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. Highly, highly recommend!
October 7, 2013
Treason: This was a lovely read. Over a decade ago, I myself was going through a post-conversion crisis of faith and found myself on a trip to England and Ireland. The stories I heard then of the Catholic martyrs, especially those of England, opened my eyes anew to the value of our faith: that it is a truth worth dying for. Dena Hunt’s novel Treason put flesh and bone and breath into those stories and made me value the faith anew. I have to say that the pacing is much slower than I usually read, but I still finished Treason in a day. Hunt brought a quiet immediacy to those far-distant stories of the priests and laypeople who gave their lives–not just their life-breath but their daily comforts, their moments of personal peace, their relationships with their countrymen–because they were not willing to lie. Do you need an example of day-to-day courage? Do you need hope that our flailing efforts have value to make present here the Kingdom of God? Then go read Treason by Dena Hunt.
December 19, 2013
I very much enjoyed this book, though I thought that it was a bit brief: I found it difficult to become truly engaged in the lives of the characters. Of course, having just read the significantly longer and thematically-similar 'Come Rack! Come Rope!', it is perhaps not surprising that I was frustrated by the brevity of this text. I do recommend it, however, as a well-written and thoughtful novel.
November 2, 2016
It took a while to finish as things got in between. Since I had this great pause I was a bit disconnected while taking the story back, and some characters that were well developed in the beginning, somewhat disappear by the end, and vice versa, some characters that I would have liked to get more familiar by the second half, are briefly introduced. What I recognized is some Bensonian influence, but something was missing.
May 23, 2023
A decent short novel about recusant Catholics during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Focusing on the young priest Stephen Long and the secretly Catholic Caroline Wingate, the novel explores themes of faith and love, as well as finding hope amidst hardship and the embracing of a life of 'white martyrdom.' The pacing of the book is somewhat lacking, at least in my opinion; the first half moves much too slowly, and the climax at the end happens quite abruptly, if not unexpectedly. Perhaps this was by design, but it felt a little jarring. It should also be noted that the book is very much written from a Catholic viewpoint; there is not much by means of nuance about the differing positions between Catholics and Protestants. This doesn't necessarily have to be a problem, but just keep this in mind before reading.
December 18, 2020
This was an enjoyable piece of historic fiction. I'd read books in the past that have made me feel sympathetic towards Queen Elizabeth 1, but this book made me take a new look at the terror of Christian persecution during her reign.
The story is a quick read being less than 200 pages, with the pacing being the course of a few days. The intersecting fates of a number of characters are neatly described and satisfyingly tied together by the end of the book. Main character Caroline can come across as cloyingly perfect, a couple of the male characters as unrealistically heroic but none of them seem completely one dimensional or there only to conveniently drive the plot forward. You can imagine there really were men and women in just such circumstances having to make equally difficult choices.
A great book for reading away a cold, grey day.
The story is a quick read being less than 200 pages, with the pacing being the course of a few days. The intersecting fates of a number of characters are neatly described and satisfyingly tied together by the end of the book. Main character Caroline can come across as cloyingly perfect, a couple of the male characters as unrealistically heroic but none of them seem completely one dimensional or there only to conveniently drive the plot forward. You can imagine there really were men and women in just such circumstances having to make equally difficult choices.
A great book for reading away a cold, grey day.
May 18, 2017
This is a "must read"
A terribly sad but totally uplifting story. I know there are many places in our world where Christians, especially Catholics, are persecuted...but I had never thought about the human, personal side of that persecution. I was moved to tears with this story and can only praise and thank God that I have not had to live with such persecution.
A terribly sad but totally uplifting story. I know there are many places in our world where Christians, especially Catholics, are persecuted...but I had never thought about the human, personal side of that persecution. I was moved to tears with this story and can only praise and thank God that I have not had to live with such persecution.
October 27, 2023
Very interesting story, great history but I struggled to get really invested in the characters.
May 9, 2019
This review contains spoilers.
This was an interesting fictional representation of what it was like to be a Catholic in Elizabethan England. There were many perspectives to consider, and it helped me to gain a better understanding of people's motives and morals.
There's the Protestant farmer who freaks out because he discovered that one of his workers has attended a Mass in his barn.
There's Caroline Wingate, who was forced to marry a Protestant man and go against her desire to be a bride of Christ. She does her marital duty, but is racked with guilt because she can't put her heart and soul into her marriage.
There is also Caroline's husband, who doesn't understand how to get closer to his wife, and is the kind of person who "goes along to get along." He's willing to compromise his morals to keep his social status.
There's Father Stephen Long, a newly ordained priest who sneaks back into his home country to minister to the hidden Catholics, while trying to wrap his mind around the very real possibility that he might be martyred.
There is Caroline's aunt, who has two children, both of whom are fighting for the faith in their own ways. She's trying to learn how to trust God's plan for her children and remain strong while they face dangers.
All these characters are part of a great drama that happens over the course of three days. Queen Elizabeth's spies are hunting down those involved with the secret Masses and sacraments, and it has bittersweet consequences for this cast. I was intrigued by the story enough to keep picking it up, but I felt it to be a tad stilted and I can't put my finger on why.
Two things irritated me a little bit:
1) Caroline was certainly pressured by the rules of her society and time frame, and I'm glad she eventually chose to leave her husband and ask for a divorce on the grounds of her being a Catholic. I just wish she figured that out at the beginning. Of course, that would have killed the story, but she had the freedom to choose the path God was calling her to all along. Therefore, it bothered me that she seemed so certain that she had no choice in her forced marriage.
2) Fr. Long and Caroline cross paths during the book, and he sees something in her eyes that inspires him. Now this book was written from a traditional Catholic standpoint, so I knew there was no chance of any inappropriate implications. However, the author was really cryptic about why Caroline's blue eyes caught Fr. Long's attention. It bugged me throughout the whole book. In the end, it is revealed that Caroline's eyes reminded him of a blue cornflower he saw upon his arrival in England as a priest. Therefore, her eyes represent the soul of England and its people. I never would have made the connection if she hadn't spelled it out. It seemed really random at the end.
Other than that, it was a good snapshot of what the Catholic underground was like during this time frame. It forces the reader to look at the moral issues that came into question and how the faithful in England remained strong in a time of religious crisis. Definitely worth the read, just oddly put together in some parts.
This was an interesting fictional representation of what it was like to be a Catholic in Elizabethan England. There were many perspectives to consider, and it helped me to gain a better understanding of people's motives and morals.
There's the Protestant farmer who freaks out because he discovered that one of his workers has attended a Mass in his barn.
There's Caroline Wingate, who was forced to marry a Protestant man and go against her desire to be a bride of Christ. She does her marital duty, but is racked with guilt because she can't put her heart and soul into her marriage.
There is also Caroline's husband, who doesn't understand how to get closer to his wife, and is the kind of person who "goes along to get along." He's willing to compromise his morals to keep his social status.
There's Father Stephen Long, a newly ordained priest who sneaks back into his home country to minister to the hidden Catholics, while trying to wrap his mind around the very real possibility that he might be martyred.
There is Caroline's aunt, who has two children, both of whom are fighting for the faith in their own ways. She's trying to learn how to trust God's plan for her children and remain strong while they face dangers.
All these characters are part of a great drama that happens over the course of three days. Queen Elizabeth's spies are hunting down those involved with the secret Masses and sacraments, and it has bittersweet consequences for this cast. I was intrigued by the story enough to keep picking it up, but I felt it to be a tad stilted and I can't put my finger on why.
Two things irritated me a little bit:
1) Caroline was certainly pressured by the rules of her society and time frame, and I'm glad she eventually chose to leave her husband and ask for a divorce on the grounds of her being a Catholic. I just wish she figured that out at the beginning. Of course, that would have killed the story, but she had the freedom to choose the path God was calling her to all along. Therefore, it bothered me that she seemed so certain that she had no choice in her forced marriage.
2) Fr. Long and Caroline cross paths during the book, and he sees something in her eyes that inspires him. Now this book was written from a traditional Catholic standpoint, so I knew there was no chance of any inappropriate implications. However, the author was really cryptic about why Caroline's blue eyes caught Fr. Long's attention. It bugged me throughout the whole book. In the end, it is revealed that Caroline's eyes reminded him of a blue cornflower he saw upon his arrival in England as a priest. Therefore, her eyes represent the soul of England and its people. I never would have made the connection if she hadn't spelled it out. It seemed really random at the end.
Other than that, it was a good snapshot of what the Catholic underground was like during this time frame. It forces the reader to look at the moral issues that came into question and how the faithful in England remained strong in a time of religious crisis. Definitely worth the read, just oddly put together in some parts.
May 16, 2013
Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England takes place in 16th Century England, or Shakespeare's day. This was a time when being Catholic in England was traitorous and resulted in death. Within this book, Ms. Hunt shows us the human spirit in many different characters and how each one responds to the persecution of themselves or others. Spoiler alert: It's not always in a positive manner.
The first thing I do with a book, regardless of whether it's fiction or non-fiction, is read the back cover to get an idea of what it is about. In this case, I wish I hadn't of done that. The back cover gives you the impression that Stephen and Caroline are the main characters in the story. If they are indeed, it took nearly 50 pages (of a 200 page book) to feel like you got to know them in order to build some kind of attachment to them. We instead learn more about all the ancillary characters early on in the book, which, while they are all connected in some way to Stephen or Caroline, come off more as major characters than minor ones.
Another thing of note in the book is that all the events take place over the span of a week, May 21 to May 27, 1581. This isn't a big deal, and it was a fact I didn't notice at first, but on reflection, that was a whirlwind of events that happened in the span of a week. I'm not saying it's impossible that it could have happened. I'm just saying I felt like this was taking place over the course of weeks and months and was surprised when I realized that it only took a week.
I give this book 4 out 5 stars. It did a nice job painting a portrait of how England was in the late 16th Century. It also did a nice job of showing all the different ways people act when faced with persecution of their faith. There is a character who turns his head and switches to the state religion, and then there are martyrs, both red (a literal dying for the faith) and white (a dying to everything you love for God). I am not saying there is a right way or a wrong way, as I hope to never be put in that position, but it does make you appreciate your freedom and ability to worship as you see fit. May we learn from our mistakes, lest we repeat them.
The first thing I do with a book, regardless of whether it's fiction or non-fiction, is read the back cover to get an idea of what it is about. In this case, I wish I hadn't of done that. The back cover gives you the impression that Stephen and Caroline are the main characters in the story. If they are indeed, it took nearly 50 pages (of a 200 page book) to feel like you got to know them in order to build some kind of attachment to them. We instead learn more about all the ancillary characters early on in the book, which, while they are all connected in some way to Stephen or Caroline, come off more as major characters than minor ones.
Another thing of note in the book is that all the events take place over the span of a week, May 21 to May 27, 1581. This isn't a big deal, and it was a fact I didn't notice at first, but on reflection, that was a whirlwind of events that happened in the span of a week. I'm not saying it's impossible that it could have happened. I'm just saying I felt like this was taking place over the course of weeks and months and was surprised when I realized that it only took a week.
I give this book 4 out 5 stars. It did a nice job painting a portrait of how England was in the late 16th Century. It also did a nice job of showing all the different ways people act when faced with persecution of their faith. There is a character who turns his head and switches to the state religion, and then there are martyrs, both red (a literal dying for the faith) and white (a dying to everything you love for God). I am not saying there is a right way or a wrong way, as I hope to never be put in that position, but it does make you appreciate your freedom and ability to worship as you see fit. May we learn from our mistakes, lest we repeat them.
January 15, 2016
If all you require from your reading is upstanding Catholic characters, this might be a happy, happy choice. If you are looking for development in your characters, you are out of luck.
If you are looking for a plot with depth beyond the publisher's marketing blurb, you are out of luck.
Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England can however be read as a parable for the current attack on religious liberty. Spoiler Alert: It's bad.
If you are looking for a plot with depth beyond the publisher's marketing blurb, you are out of luck.
Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England can however be read as a parable for the current attack on religious liberty. Spoiler Alert: It's bad.
October 15, 2014
A few modern American phrases that I don't think an English Tudor person would have spoken but having said that I thought it was an ok story. Certain sections were I thought excellent and thought provoking but the short story at 184 pages did not allow the characters to develop fully. It left me frustratingly craving more detail. Ok but not a page turner.
July 7, 2015
I, personally, like this book by Dena Hunt better than her other book, The Lion's Heart. I think her writing is better when it's for historical Catholic fiction than contemporary Catholic fiction. At least in my opinion.
February 26, 2014
A story of how Catholics were forbidden under Queen Elizabeth to practice their faith under punishment of death. The so called Golden age.
Read
March 28, 2016interesting
June 7, 2015
I have read actual accounts of this time of catholic persecution but this piece of historical fiction personalized it.
Ironically it brings today's persecution very frightening
Ironically it brings today's persecution very frightening
August 4, 2015
Inspiring and educational.
Very good historical novel of the persecution faced by Catholics in England. Sad and heartbreaking, full of love and truth.
Very good historical novel of the persecution faced by Catholics in England. Sad and heartbreaking, full of love and truth.
Want to read
May 4, 2016I just couldn't get into this. From what I did read, there didn't seem to be much nuance in the characters. I might give this another try at a different time.
March 18, 2016
the world needs more books like this - books that put the smackdown on revisionist history.
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