Brigid of Kildare

Girl With a Pearl Earring meets How the Irish Saved Civilization in this dazzling historical novel that reimagines Saint Brigid and the early church in Ireland

The twelfth-century writer Gerald of Wales famously described an illuminated manuscript of great beauty that scholars have long assumed to be The Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s great treasures. But some have contested that Gerald and The Book of Kells could not have been in Kildare at the same time, and that there may be a second book—lost to history.

This is the jumping-off point for Heather Terrell’s new novel, in which Decius, a Roman priest-turned-spy, is dispatched to Ireland. His target: the patron saint Brigid of Kildare, a powerful leader charged with teaching outlawed texts and challenging the patriarchy. But, intrigued by Brigid’s unorthodox Christianity, her gentle ministrations to her followers, and her warrior-like commitment, Decius finds himself at odds with his mission, and faces the most difficult choice of his life.