Glastonbury: The Novel of Christian England by Donna Fletcher Crow
Donna Fletcher Crow’s epic historical masterpiece brings to life the mystical Glass Isle of Glastonbury with its imposing Tor. In each era, the ruling monarch and a key spiritual leader are highlighted. As conflicts rage, we follow the wavering spark of faith in Jesus Christ and the icons that assure its continuity.
Historical structure
The book is divided into six periods: Celtic Britain, Roman Britain, Arthurian Britain, Anglo-Saxon England, Norman England, and finally the turbulent reign of Henry VIII. An extract from the journal of Glastonbury’s last surviving monk, Austin Ringwode, sets the scene for each era. Crow then portrays that period through the eyes and experiences of one or more fictitious characters who interact with historic figures.
The mystical site with its profoundly spiritual aura, around which all events in the book take place, has a variety of names at different times. In early days it is Ynys Witrin or Avalon. King Arthur calls it Camelot. Later, variant spellings of Glastonbury appear.
The climax comes after King Henry VIII falls out with Rome over his desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Will the ancient monastery of Glastonbury survive?
Legends brought to life
Jesus’s uncle Joseph of Arimathea, a tin and lead trader, returns to the island in obedience to the commission to carry the Good News to all nations. He brings with him several mementos relating to Jesus’s death on the cross. A cutting of the thorn tree from which the crucifixion crown was made blossoms every Christmastime. An elaborate cross contains one of the nails that impaled Jesus on the cross. The Holy Grail, the wooden bowl with which Jesus passed the wine to his disciples at the Last Supper and which Joseph used to catch Christ’s blood at the crucifixion, is lost. But it figures throughout the book as a mystical symbol with a subtle significance.
Conclusion
Crow writes vividly, captivating the reader throughout this lengthy tome. We learn a great deal about the spiritual history of the British Isles and are intrigued by the lively characters the author has conjured up alongside historical figures.
The tagline, The Novel of Christian England, leads the reader to expect the story to extend to the present day. But dire events bring the story to a premature close. Henry’s break with Rome, portrayed as the tragic end of the true Christian faith in England, comes over as unnecessarily disheartening.