The Sparrow and the Hall: Love and Betrayal in Anglo-Saxon England
In 7th-century England, the churl Edgar marries his love, Gwenda, and his thane, Keelwolf, pays a brief visit to the wedding party. The onset of war a few months later sets events in motion that will haunt Edgar for years to come. His proud and devoted loyalty to his thane conflicts with unvoiced suspicions about the wife he loves, while the ramifications of his actions during the hostilities will lead Edgar to future ordeals. Against that violent backdrop, the details of Edgar and Gwenda’s daily life over several decades are sympathetically and realistically portrayed. Will the harvest be good or bad? Will the children survive their illness?
Donald Williams’s lovely prose, reminiscent of the writing of Ellis Peters, vividly evokes this period. This obviously well-researched novel thrusts the reader into the heart of life in 7th-century Northumbria, when Christianity and pagan religions fought for souls of men while kings and chieftains vied for control of territories. The reader can relax and luxuriate in the tale, letting the measured pace and description bring this vanished era to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip to early Northumbria and the accomplished writing that took me on this journey. Recommended.
