by Ellen Evert Hopman
Llewellyn, 2008, £13.99
TWO REVIEWS!
Review by Bobcat
There is always a whisper of that
begs caution when someone changes tack in how they express their
work. When an actor becomes a politician, it takes a while for them
to be seen in that new light. The same is true, I feel, when a Druid teacher,
whose writing we are used to seeing upon the non-fiction shelves, turns to
write a novel.
I have done the same with The Apple
and The Thorn, so I am well aware of this pause while my readers consider and
assess me : can she write fiction, should she be writing fiction, and why has
she changed her medium anyway?
Yet I would like to suggest that
novels written by priests can be a fascinating insight into their lives. For
instead of explaining their religious ideas, as novelists they are instead
expressing the experience of living within the philosophical and spiritual
mindset about which they otherwise teach. Starhawk has done the
same. From the other standpoint, I would imagine I am not alone in
wishing that a novelist such as Ursula le Guinn (among others) were also a
priest and willing or able to write from the narrative perspective, explaining
her own spiritual journey.
Ellen Evert Hopman is possibly best
known for her work and writings as a herbalist (or, in American English, for
she is a New Englander :an herbalist), and this her first novel is a beautiful
expression of her life drenched in the smells and songs of the herbs that are important
to her craft. As a Celtic Reconstructionist whose inspiration comes
from the island heritage of Ireland, she takes us back to the 2nd or 3rd
century, creating a situation where the tribes are moving through uncertain
times, slowly shifting the balance of devotion from the old gods towards the
influence of Rome and Christianity.
Like so many good stories, this one
flows around the personal awakening of one young woman. Training as
a Druid and a healer, it follows her journey from simple connection with nature
to her involvement with the mayhem of human politics, pain and betrayal.
The main love story in particular
was beautifully written, tugging at my own heart as a reader. Indeed
although there were times when I was conscious of reading Ellen's vision of
Druidry and history, there were many moments where I forgot the writer was a
Druid teacher I know, instead simply losing myself in the plot.
I am not an experienced reader of
this kind of fantasy fiction, but I enjoyed reading the book. Those
keen to pick apart the basis of its historical authenticity would be missing
the point; it is as well researched as it is a poetic impression of the
writer's visions of
that transition when our people lost
faith and turned to monotheism. It is a period of change that is well worth
contemplating and provocation in the medium of this novel is welcomed.
Second
Review by Jeanne Andrew
I didn’t
quite what to expect when this book arrived – I normally avoid “Celtic” fiction
like the plague, mainly because of all the hard-to-pronounce names. So I wasn’t
exactly thrilled to bits when I discovered that the start of this book had a
glossary of both items and names. However, I did find them useful and
interesting, and found myself referring to them throughout.
This is a
fiction story set in Ireland in the third century Common Era about a Druid
healer named Ethne (pron. Ev-neh), who lives by herself, dispensing herbal
remedies to her local community. She is happy with her life, gathering and
drying herbs, mixing draughts and living close to the land until an injured
Fennid (warrior/ hunter) is brought to her. As she nurses him back to fitness,
they form a close bond that develops into a deeper relationship. Their idyll is
broken when Ethne is summoned to the high king’s fort. Initially this is to
help support the Druids there as the bishops and monks make their presence
felt, but soon she is asked assist in stabilising the kingdom, which means
making a personal sacrifice.
Set against
a backdrop of the spread of a more fervent Christianity and it’s clashes with
the Druid tradition that forms not only the faith of the people but also the
basis of their day-to-day lives, this is a very easy to read and nicely flowing
story. I usually like more urban based horror fantasy (such as that written by
Jim Butcher and Kelley Armstrong) so I was worried that I might find this a bit
soppy, but it was a very gentle and warm book that I looked forward to dipping
into of an evening and was genuinely sorry to finish.
I am no
expert in Druid or early Christian history, so cannot vouch for its accuracy. I
was, however, uplifted by the descriptions of not only the festivals and rites
but also of the daily activities of a Druid community, such as the drawing of
water and preparation of food and medicines, which have actually inspired me to
be a bit more mindful in my own life and rituals.
I look
forward to reading some of Ellen’s non-fiction books on herbs and tree medicine
but I also hope that she continues to write more fiction-based books like
these.
Available from Amazon.co.uk
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