Brendan

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This is the story of Saint Brendán the Navigator, whose legendary quest to find the Isle of the Blessed is one of the most remarkable and enduring of early Christian tales.  Among Irish saints, Brendán the Navigator is second only to Patrick. Founder of several Christian monasteries, he most famously guided a group of monks on a dangerous journey into the unknown vastness of the ocean on a search for Paradise. Based on the medieval “Life of St. Brendan,” Morgan Llywelyn’s imaginative retelling of the Christian legend of this most remarkable man is a lyrical and surprising feast for the mind and heart. It is a story of truth and transcendence, of inner strength and daily discipline, of love and longing, and of towering faith. And of course, miracles.From Publishers WeeklyVeteran historical author Llywelyn retells the colorful life story of revered Irish monastic saint Brendan the Navigator in the form of a personal journal, written by an elderly Brendan, interspersed with third-person glimpses of the Great Voyage he undertook with 14 monks to find the fabled earthly paradise of the Western Sea, the Isles of Blest. A contemporary of Saint Patrick, Brendan is brought up by Erc, Bishop of Altraighe-Caille, and early on shows an affinity for seafaring. Restless, headstrong, and curious, the monk Brendan embarked on dangerous peregrinations, first by land and then by sea, traveling with his pet raven Préachán to establish monasteries throughout Ireland. Llywelyn's narrative, laced with fifth-century Irish history and lore, climaxes with a fantastical maritime expedition worthy of Ulysses; her prose is by turns reflective, lyrical, and stalwart, delving into the popular legend with a genuine sense of Brendan's human strengths and frailties. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistBrendan “the Navigator” is one of Ireland’s many early saints who straddled the pagan-Christian divide, continuing what would today be called an “environmental consciousness” as the Irish Celts moved their culture into Christianity. He gained his moniker from a long sea journey with other monks that may have brought them to America. Llywelyn brings to life the complex tribal Celtic society in which Brendan lived and creates some memorable characters—especially the saint’s foster-mother, Ita—from what little is known of the real Brendan’s life. Readable and very well researched, the novel will please fans of Ireland’s best-known historical novelist and may introduce her to readers who enjoy learning about early Christianity through fiction. --Patricia Monaghan