Time’s Legacy
This time Erskine blends modern Glastonbury and a female Christian priest with a Roman family and Druid priests. In a sweeping epic, she brings echoes of the past to shake and test her characters’ faith.
Abi is working as a curate in Cambridgeshire and immediately becomes aware of the ghosts at a little-used church. Her vicar is deeply disturbed because he has always struggled against what he believes is evil, and he needs her to help him. Unfortunately, Kier’s obsession drives him too far, and Abi has to resign her post. The bishop sends her to a retreat and it is there that the story truly begins.
Mora and Cynan are Druids. Cynan is a priest and Mora is a healer. Her cures have helped Petra, the daughter of a Roman merchant living with his family in ancient Glastonbury. Everything is peaceful enough until Flavius arrives. He has sworn to kill his brother Gaius, but is here looking for the Jewish healer Yeshua. Herod wants this dangerous enemy of the Empire dead
As the story unfolds before her eyes, Abi becomes more and more concerned for Mora and the others. She senses that the Druid girl and Yeshua are in danger and longs to help them and to know what happened to them – but Kier thinks her soul is in danger and his obsession may ruin everything.
Yeshua was the original Hebrew name of Jesus. We are invited to believe that “those feet” did in ancient times indeed walk upon England’s green and pleasant land. This is a powerful and intriguing story, and a good case is made for the author’s theory. As usual Erskine’s beautiful and descriptive writing shines through. I enjoyed it very much but Lady of Hay made more of an impression on me personally.
