haselrig's review
5.0
I won this historical novel from Goodreads Giveaways.
Nicky Moxey's Sheriff and Priest gives the reader the rare opportunity to watch a man's life unfold between it's two covers. Reminiscent of John Williams' Stoner, we get to watch a boy of humble birth raise himself to a position of respect and prestige. In Stoners' case, a dirt-poor Missouri farm boy who rises to a coveted place amongst the faculty at the University of Missouri, and here our protagonist, Wimer, a clever Saxon boy from the English backwater of Dodnash, who rose to become one of King Henry II's most trusted Sheriffs.
Much like Stoner, Wimer's rise is not without it's cost. Excommunicated three times from the church he loves. Denied a future with the woman he becomes infatuated with. Wimer's is not an easy path, but he is a good man, a man of integrity and good cheer and by the end, a man the reader has developed a strong bond with. This makes for a deeply satisfying reading experience.
Well written and rich in period detail, Sheriff and Priest is a gem. Recommended. Five stars.
Nicky Moxey's Sheriff and Priest gives the reader the rare opportunity to watch a man's life unfold between it's two covers. Reminiscent of John Williams' Stoner, we get to watch a boy of humble birth raise himself to a position of respect and prestige. In Stoners' case, a dirt-poor Missouri farm boy who rises to a coveted place amongst the faculty at the University of Missouri, and here our protagonist, Wimer, a clever Saxon boy from the English backwater of Dodnash, who rose to become one of King Henry II's most trusted Sheriffs.
Much like Stoner, Wimer's rise is not without it's cost. Excommunicated three times from the church he loves. Denied a future with the woman he becomes infatuated with. Wimer's is not an easy path, but he is a good man, a man of integrity and good cheer and by the end, a man the reader has developed a strong bond with. This makes for a deeply satisfying reading experience.
Well written and rich in period detail, Sheriff and Priest is a gem. Recommended. Five stars.
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