Who needs a yacht?

Morgan Llywelyn is an author with whom I have never been disappointed. Her weaving of fact and fiction is so well done and intriguing that for the last twenty years I always anticipate her upcoming releases. When I discovered she was writing about St. Brendan the Navigator, I was doubly excited, as it is a story which has always fascinated me. Brendan was the 6th century Irish monk who, rather than choose serene and isolated contemplation like most of his colleagues, traveled to the ends of the earth. Using the ninth century document Voyage of St Brendan the Navigator, Llywelyn retells the story of the monk who, in his quest to find the The Islands of the Blessed, the eternal paradise, ends up crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Brendan tells the story of the monk from his early days, living in a quiet community, learning under the instruction of Ita, a gentle, patient nun. As his body and wisdom mature, he comes under the tutelage of Erc, a powerful Bishop and former Druid. In Brendan, Erc sees someone with great potential and leadership qualities, but is often frustrated by the younger man's questioning mind and adventurous spirit.

The novel shifts between time periods, a device which adds a dreamy quality to the novel. We read of Brendan's childhood, youth, adulthood (where he accomplished most of his adventures), through to his old age, where he records his memories in his journal. It is in the writing of the journal that Brendan recalls his greatest adventure of traveling with several other monks in a small boat called a curragh, where they see living islands, volcanoes, icebergs, all sorts of unusual people, as well as tragedy. It is speculated that Brendan was the first European to reach the shores of North America, a scene Llywelen describes beautifully in the final scenes.

Although Brendan is written about a Christian saint, it is not an overtly religious book. Brendan lived at a time when the Celtic church varied greatly from its Roman counterparts. Christianity was interwoven with pagan beliefs, marriages between church leaders was normal and encouraged, and even Brendan feels romantic love. It is more a story of a restless spirit, who happens to be a monk, the daring escapades he faced, and his relationship with his god which can only grow given the wondrous things he sees and experiences.