A gathering of Ghosts - Karen Maitland - wonderfully atmospheric historical writing
A Gathering of Ghosts by Karen Maitland My review: Karen Maitland smashes the bar again with another fabulous, bewitching medieval masterpiece. She populates her latest book with a cast of superbly memorable characters. A group of holy sisters in an isolated Priory, ruled by the indomitable Prioress Johanne assisted by a group of sisters including the wonderful sister Basilia (I must confess I instantly pictured her as the wonderful actress Patsy Byrne - most famous for her role of Nursie in Blackadder, and wonder if the author had this character in mind when she created her?) Knights of St John, tinners working on Dartmoor living in impoverishment I shudder to imagine, and some wonderful mystical and magical pagan women. The whole story is woven around survival, the battle between pagan beliefs versus Christianity, magic, ancient lore, the wisdom and fortitude of women from different walks of life entwined with the occult. Combine this with a stunningly believable storyline and strang...