Patrick: Son of Ireland - ISBNLookup.com

Publishers Weekly

Devotees of prolific historical novelist Lawton (The Iron Lance) will enjoy this picaresque, which follows the legendary eponymous Irish saint through the "lost years" between his escape from slavery and his missionary work in Ireland. Though Succat, the hero, does not receive his more familiar name until late in the story and doesn't encounter even a single snake, he blazes a thrilling-and meticulously researched-trail across the Holy Roman Empire. Succat, the son of a Christian family of well-to-do fifth-century Britons, is captured by Irish raiders and sent to Ireland as a slave. After years of brutal conditions, he manages to escape. Having lost his faith in the Christian God while a slave, Succat studies druid theology and lives in a home with other druids, who give him the name "Patrick," Celtic for nobleman. He eventually returns to Britain; serves for a while as an assistant to Bishop Cornelius, who helps him find his faith again; studies in Gaul; and goes on to Rome, where he becomes a city official, marries and has a daughter. Yet Patrick is haunted by his memories of Ireland and comes to believe that he has a special mission there: to convert the Irish people to Christianity. His triumphant return changes the history of Eire. Lawhead wisely keeps the fantasy and folklore to a minimum and never grants Succat superhuman qualities. Patrick is unfailingly sympathetic and believable, and his story of losing and finding faith will resonate with a wide spectrum of readers. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA

Lawhead attempts to reclaim the lost years of the legendary Saint Patrick's life, from his escape from slavery to his life in the dwindling Holy Roman Empire and his eventual return to Ireland. Born Maewyn Succat, Patrick has a good life as the son of a fifth-century noble Briton. When captured by marauding Irish raiders, he is forced into slavery in Eire, and he must endure a brutal life. His ultimate escape finds him a broken man, devoid of faith. He finds shelter first with the Druids and then with Bishop Cornelius in Britain. Between the two, he ultimately regains his faith and finds his way back to his birthright of Christianity. His subsequent life in Rome, where he marries and has a daughter, finds him haunted by dreams of Ireland, and he braves a rough journey to return and find his place back in the community of Eire and ultimately into the history books. Devoid of supernatural happenings and the snakes that Patrick is credited with driving out of Ireland, Lawhead's novel paints a compassionate and believable tale about a man regaining his faith. Filled with rich realism and believable characters, this first-person narrative will engage readers interested in the legend of Saint Patrick as well as those simply attracted to novels that investigate medieval culture. The few weak points can be forgiven as necessary for the character's development. Engaging action scenes and gripping dialogue keep the story flowing, while the novel's quiet themes maintain its depth. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2003, HarperCollins, 454p,
— Heather Hepler

Kirkus Reviews

A fictionalized biography of St. Patrick, circa a.d. 400, concentrating on the "lost years" of the famous Irish patriarch. The patron saint of Ireland was actually Welsh—real name, Succat of Morgannwg. The son of a noble landowning family loyal to the Romans, Patrick was raised a Christian and expected to succeed his father as lord of the manor. But Britain was a far-flung outpost of Rome, in constant danger of invasion by barbarian tribes, and it took a cohort of Irish raiders only one night to lay waste to his family’s estate and carry Patrick off to Ireland as a slave. There, in a land even wilder and more barbaric than Britain, Patrick herded sheep for seven years before he was able to escape and make his way home—leaving his wife, Sionan, behind. Reunited in Britain with his childhood friend Julian, now a priest, Patrick and Julian came to live in the home of Bishop Cornelius, serving the bishop as companion, guide, and translator. In Ireland, Patrick had studied the Druid religion and had even considered becoming a Druid bard, so he was able to explain Druid theology to the Christian missionaries who had been working with little success to convert the island. When he was captured by the Irish and lost his family and fortune, Patrick also lost his faith in the Christian God who had proven unable to save him, but Julian and Cornelius slowly work him back into the fold. Eventually, Patrick is willing not merely to forgive his Irish captors, but to work on their behalf by returning to them as a missionary—and the rest is history. A straightforward Celtic paperback yarn, but this one is blessedly short on the talking trees, magic swords, and warrior maidens that clutter upso many from Lawhead (Mystic Rose, 2001, etc.). Still, you’ll still need to be a serious Celt-ophile to get through it.