Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley

This book. I picked this little book up at a used bookstore, never having seen or heard of it. I confess, the title captured my attention. The narrator of the story is a nun living in the fifth century when Ireland was in the beginning phase of converting to Christianity.

This historical fiction novel begins with a codex (manuscript) found at the bottom of a deep well, hidden for hundreds of years. Water damaged but with much of it decipherable, the author of the manuscript did something unusual for the time and put her own thoughts on paper.

Gwynneve began her life as a druid and came to Christianity after losing her teacher and companion. Letters, words and writing fascinate her, and after the loss of her teacher, it was her consolation. The story details her grief over losing her mother (a pagan healer), then her teacher and companion, Gainnon (a druid). The author breathes life into the characters of her mother and Gainnon and others, all drawn in vivid colors, I felt how she yearned for them.

Woven throughout this introspective work are her feelings, thoughts, opinions and philosophical musings on the transition of her homeland to Christianity and her belief that both paganism and Christianity had much to offer and why could people not be left to choose for themselves or simply take what is good from both.

Beautiful prose, beautiful story. I love this strong, caring character, Gwynneve. The author was able to convince me I was reading a real lost codex from the fifth century, the characters felt real and I was hooked.