Saint Brigid's Bones

by Philip Freeman

Overview

In ancient Ireland, an island ruled by kings and druids, the nuns of Saint Brigid are fighting to keep their monastery alive. When the bones of Brigid go missing from their church, the theft threatens to destroy all they have worked for. No one knows the danger they face better than Sister Deirdre, a young nun torn between two worlds.Trained as a bard and raised by a druid grandmother, she must draw upon all of her skills, both as a bard and as a nun, to find the bones before the convent begins to lose faith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605987187
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	10/15/2014
Series:	Sister Deirdre Mysteries , #1
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	761,320
File size:	563 KB

About the Author

Philip Freeman earned his Ph.D. at Harvard University and has taught at Boston University, Washington University, and Luther College. He currently holds the Fletcher Jones Chair in Humanities at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He has been a visiting fellow at the American Academy in Rome, the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington D.C., and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He has published over twenty books, ranging from biographies of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Saint Patrick to translations of Cicero and Aristotle. His books have been translated into fifteen languages around the world. Philip lives in Malibu, California.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/01/2014
Sixth-century Ireland was a place of magic when Druids still roamed the land and every well had healing powers. Sister Deirdre, who is both a trained bard raised by her Druid grandmother and a nun at the Monastery of Holy Brigid in Kildare, is tasked with finding the saint's bones after they are stolen from the monastery's chapel. Set a little more than a century or so before Peter Tremayne's series featuring Sister Fidelma, Freeman's (St. Patrick of Ireland) first novel has a strong atmosphere and absorbing, well-drawn characters. For the most part accurate in his portrayal of everyday medieval life, the author, who holds a PhD in classics and Celtic studies, has woven a compelling plot that touches on some of the struggles faced by the early Catholic Church in Ireland. Deirdre's story as a young woman torn between the pagan and Christian worlds is very intriguing, and this reviewer would love to see where it goes if there are future installments. VERDICT Fans of Tremayne's "Sister Fidelma" series will want to give this a try. It may also be of interest to those who like series set in Roman and pre-Roman Britain, such as those by Kelli Stanley or Ruth Downie.—Pamela O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY

Library Journal

Philip Freeman creates convincing characters who use realistic dialogue. All books about Celtic Heritage should be this readable. I hope to hear more of Deidre in the future.

The Irish American News

This is a goodly yarn, complete with its fascinating and colorful historical and cultural context, not to mention its dangers and horrors, a good start to what looks to be a good mystery series.

The Providence Journal

The pacing and suspense were very well stylized, and I was happy to see that Philip Freeman plans on publishing a second novel featuring the lively Sister Deirdre.

Historical Novel Society

A lively and lucid biography.

The New York Times (on 'St. Patrick of Ireland')