The Life and Travels of Saint Cuthwin is a story of deep love and desperate survival in 11th Century England, a story told by a man named Cuthwin, born a peasant, who faced horror after horror in order to live for 85 years, at which time he told his story to a young monk who wrote it down. He wanted to tell his story, warts and all, since he had been informed that the Church was considering naming him as a Saint, an honor, which Cuthwin absolutely denied. He attempted to discredit any such thoughts by revealing what he considered to be very UN-saintlike thoughts and actions. The accuracy with which Warner details life in this tumultuous period of history Is remarkable. He creates characters who come alive on the page, characters that a reader can truly imagine living in this violent and deeply religious period and who struggled through the bloody invasion of the Normans in 1066.
