The Familists: A Tale of Faith, Family and Survival in 16th Century Europe (The Seton Chronicles)
Sixteenth-century Europe is a complicated place—especially from a religious perspective. Where there was once one true faith, there are now at least two—maybe more, as Protestantism fragments further. Add to this the ubiquitous antisemitism, the forcibly converted (well, more or less) Jews—the Conversos—and the violence of the Counter-Reformation headed by Spain, and Europe is a difficult place to navigate.
This is the world of Bethia, her husband Mainard, and Bethia’s brother Will. Bethia is Catholic, Mainard is a Converso with growing leanings towards the faith of his ancestors, and Will is a Calvinist. Both Will and Mainard are in constant danger from the Inquisition, and when things explode in Italy, Bethia and her children flee to Constantinople, with Mainard promising to come later. Except he doesn’t.
Ms. Masters has set herself a challenging task in weaving the various threads of her multi-layered story together. One moment, we accompany Will as he works with Calvin, travels with Knox to Scotland, and generally risks his life for his new religion. The next, we are with Mainard, who has the Inquisition snapping at his heels. And then there is Bethia, desperate for news of her husband and incapable of doing anything to help.
There is no faulting Ms. Masters’ excellent historical research, and her lead characters are easy to relate to. Vivid descriptions give a clear sense of place, as do the various historical details. I do, however, find myself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of adventure crammed into this one book. At times, the narrative becomes fragmented, with huge leaps in time and place that detract from what is otherwise an entertaining and extremely educational read.
