Prologue
1st Elventide, winter 1795 ad (after Doon)
A thick snow carpeted the field, though the fall had ceased some hours before. It now rested like a work complete. Like deep frosting on an endless cake, concealing all. Hiding who knew what beneath.
A boy threw a stick. His wolfhound fetched it. A tried and tested game. A scene familiar throughout ages.
And yet, there was something different here. Something wrong… Read More »
Many years ago, before I was a Christian, at a time when I was chasing money and essentially living for myself, I would often say to my wife that I wanted what her mother had. Life hadn’t dealt her a great hand, yet she was by far the happiest person I knew.
She had a peace and joy that were painfully lacking in my own life. Where did they come from? Read More »
1
Selling Sand
Filthy rich! That’s how rich I wanted to be. What was the point in being ‘just rich’, when you could aspire to own the stars! I’m not talking about a few nice motors on the front driveway. I’m talking the full monty: private jet, lush apartment in New York, mansion in the country, and enough staff to cater for my every whim. Oh, and a sushi chef for my refined palate and expensive tastes. I wanted it all… Read More »
‘A masterpiece of historical fiction.’
Wendy H Jones, author and writing coach
The BBC’s recent series, Forgiveness: Stories from the Front Line, thoughtfully explores the power of forgiving. Perhaps surprisingly, the presenter concludes that self-forgiveness is the hardest kind, being so bound up with regret and shame, yet it has the power to transform our lives.
In her new historical novel, The Pilgrim, Joy Margetts sensitively tackles the subject of forgiveness, in particular self-forgiveness… Read More »
1
Brampton Barre, Late summer 1202, England
The sound of clanging swords echoed around the stone walls of the castle, punctuated by grunts and yells and, incongruously, laughter. Hal wandered up the path from the bailey below and paused, leaning on a gatepost, to watch his brother, Robert, and four others taking turns to spar with one another on a small, flat patch of ground at the foot of the motte. He grinned… Read More »
‘An informed consideration of leadership, underpinned by the careful use of Scripture, wide reading and recent research.’
Rev Dr Derek Tidball, former Principal of the London School of Theology
In recent years, there has been a craze for all things ‘leadership’, with one fad after another promising dramatic change. But as headlines have proven in recent months, just what constitutes good leadership is very far from settled. So if the quick fixes don’t work, where can we turn to discover how we might lead well, in church or in the workplace, when our time comes? Read More »
1
Wise Leaders Know That They Don’t Get There By Themselves
‘By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict’
(Hebrews 11:23)
None of us gets to choose the time or circumstances of our birth… Read More »
‘In the darkest part of my life, in the middle of the mess and suffering, Jesus was there, holding my hand and giving me the strength I needed to simply stand in the storm.’
One in two of us in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives – and all of us who are not will be close to someone who is. So when the diagnosis comes, when the storm strikes, where will we go to find strength and comfort?
In 2016, speaker and worship leader Matt McChlery and his wife faced just this question… Read More »
‘Isabel stands in the place of all young people as she comes face to face with wounds from her past, deep rejection issues and fears for her future. It is a great book for teenagers and has a “rooted in reality” message of hope that is so desperately needed today.’
Tracy Williamson, Author and Speaker, MBM Trust
Research from the Anti-Bullying Alliance reveals that one in four children report being bullied ‘a lot or always’. Such trauma can cause long-term damage to a child’s confidence and well-being. But one source of therapy… Read More »
One
February
Isabel waded through thick black mud as she approached the dilapidated wooden field gate. Each step she took rendered a loud squelching noise as she fought to keep possession of her favourite Wellington boots – the ones covered with multi-coloured polka dots, with a fluffy lining. A stale, earthy smell filled her nostrils as she struggled further to untie the knotted bailer twine that secured… Read More »
