Galiene: A Twelfth-Century Tale of Love and War

by Dawn Hammill

"That morning had come like any other fair dawn in the cool of spring: crisp and sparkling and fresh with the air of change."

Rumours of war are buzzing around her, yet the young healer who wrote those words could not have imagined the catastrophic changes that were coming that day. Before the morning is over, her home is in flames, her family is dead and she is taken captive by the Scottish army that invaded northern England in 1138. This is her remarkable story of loss, survival and love.

Eventually, the young woman writes of her experience, so it is her own voice that is heard in the novel Galiene, which uses as its title the name given to the proud and spirited young Englishwoman by the Scottish warriors. To King Fergus of Galloway, however, she is Amadan De, a Gaelic name meaning "Butterfly" or "God’s Fool." Kind and passionate but tormented by deeds both past and present, Fergus seems to see in her far more than beauty and courage. His instincts prove true: the feisty and talented healer quickly becomes the spark that not only reignites ancient animosities among factions of the Scottish army, but also rekindles his own fiery spirit.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2015

About the author

Dawn wrote her first poem on a boat trip to Saltspring Island when she was seven. Since then her pen has rarely been still. As a student and teacher of medieval literature and history in both Britain and Canada, she has won awards for her academic writing, but she loves writing fiction best, and reading it as well. She spends every minute she can afford exploring the settings that appear in her books, and when the weather is kind, she's out in her garden enjoying the sunshine and trying to harvest her vegetables before the ravenous wild beasties – moose, rabbits and slugs for the most part – devour more than their fair share.

Reviews

[RAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story that captures the mood of an unsettled period in British history!

I don’t like reviews that tell too much and spoil the story for others, so I’m not going to do that, but I especially like how this novel is presented as a modern translation of a manuscript from the 12th century. The writer of the manuscript is also the main character Galiene, and her voice and language feel so authentic I could really believe I was hearing the thoughts of a 12th century woman. Her words kept rolling through my mind long after I put the book down. She and the other characters come across as real people in a difficult time, whether they're caring, courageous and endearing or cruel, flawed and desperate.

I also enjoyed the way the story arises from genuine historical events and sometimes explains them in new ways based on the characters. I had to look up the Battle of the Standard because I was so curious about how the historical record compared with the novel, but if you don't know anything about the battle, you probably don't want to find out until you've finished the book.

The ending was great and leaves many challenges for the characters to face in a sequel. I'm definitely looking forward to Book 2 in this new series!

[Maeve Buchanan]

Can't wait to read this one!

Author is my study buddy from English and Medieval Studies at the University of Victoria. Had it not been for this lovely person, I would never have stuck with my Anglo-Saxon language class! A brilliant writer and a fantastic friend. She knows the medieval period like few others, so you can expect historical accuracy here.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! A well-researched and compelling story told from a unique perspective.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the authentic historical feel of this novel.