A Rare Benedictine

My mother gave me this book when I was last home (I come by my tendency to buy duplicate books honestly), and it wasn't until I was shuffling through my TBR a few days ago that I actually stopped and looked at this one. I wanted to know which books I needed to find to complete my collection of Brother Cadfaels. Flipping through this one, I discovered it's a compilation of three prequel stories that Ellis Peters wrote over the years. Bonus: one of them took place over Christmas.

I love this book! It's illustrated with beautiful color reproductions of medieval (or medieval-style) prints, and there's an introduction by Ellis Peters, explaining a few basic details behind the Cadfael series, like how it got started, how he got his name, and show more why she'd never written any stories about his crusading days. She's also very clear, in a manner that feels purposeful, that Cadfael never converted; his entrance to the abby was just the next step in his life; a life that was always one of faith and belief. It was a wonderful introduction, and I got a very real sense that Peters knew her character to his bones, understood him, and wanted to make sure his readers did too.

As for the stories themselves, the first one, A Light on the Road To Woodstock, does indeed take place before Cadfael's entrance into the abbey. In takes place as he returns to England for the first time after the wars, facing imminent unemployment, and looking to move on to a new phase in his life, though he doesn't know yet what it might be. His last assignment for the lord who employs him takes him to Richmond during a court dispute with the Shrewsbury Monastery. Here he meets the Prior of the Abbey and is confronted with a mystery concerning the Prior's disappearance.

This is not a fair play story; the mystery is solved by Cadfael's observance of the people he knows and the human nature he's familiar with, but he does not share those observances with the reader. Still, it's a lovely introduction to the man, and the story is a good one.

The second, my favorite of the three, is The Price of Light, the Christmas story. Here Cadfael has been a monk for 15 years. A man of means, whose life has been a waste, is beset by ill health and realises he must do something to 'earn' his redemption (read: buy it, as cheaply as possible). He gifts Shrewsbury Abbey with the rent from one of his holdings, and a pair of beautiful silver candlesticks, both for the betterment and maintenance of their Lady Chapel. The gifts are made on Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Day, the candlesticks have been stolen.

What follows is far more of a fair play mystery, with Cadfael poking about, observing, finding clues and sharing most of it with the reader. The plot is pretty good for a short form mystery, and the story itself is just really lovely. Ellis Peters understood the true grace that lies behind Christianity and faith, and she writes it beautifully - never, ever preaches it - but Cadfael and most of his brothers are written in a way that is consistent to both true Christianity and humanity, and the struggle between the two is a never-ceasing one.

The last story, Eye Witness, is a much more bog-standard short story mystery. It falls back on a few of the standard tropes. Man goes out to collect the rents, is bashed on the head and robbed, thrown into the river to drown, rescued, and cannot shed any light on who tried to kill him. His son is a suspect, of course, and Cadfael gleans the truth not only through observation, but by the time-worn tradition (in mysteries) of laying a trap!

The most pedestrian of the three, it's still a good story, and adds to the fuller picture of life at Shrewsbury.

My edition was done by Mysterious Press, and if you're a Cadfael fan who does not yet own this, I recommend it highly, both for the stories and the charm of the edition itself. show less

Summary: Three short stories set prior to the Chronicles, explaining how Cadfael became a monk and his early adventures.

At the beginning of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, he is already a Benedictine monk of some years. We learn of his crusading and sea-faring past. But we are without a clue as to how he became a monk. In the Introduction to A Rare Benedictine, Ellis Peters explains that she decided not to write a novel going back to his crusading days, as it would interrupt the chronological flow of The Chronicles. But she eventually did write a short story recounting the story of Cadfael’s entry into the monastic life. That story, and two others that precede in time the first of The Chronicles, make up A Rare Benedictine.

A Light show more on the Road to Woodstock

Cadfael, one of the fighting men of Roger Maduit, has returned to England with the triumphant King Henry after years abroad, and most recently in securing Normandy for the King. He’s completed his service to Roger, but has no plan for what comes next. When Roger asks him to escort him to Woodstock for a trial over claims made by the Abbey at Shrewsbury to land Roger holds, Cadfael agrees. As it turns out, the case is shaky at best for Roger. In a plot of which Cadfael has no part, Roger sends men to waylay the Abbey’s representative until the trial is over. If he doesn’t appear before the king, the land by default goes to Roger.

The plot succeeds, but there is also an attempt on Roger’s life. Cadfael saves him. When the king does not show up, Rogers plans unravel. The ship sinks that is carrying all the king’s heirs. The delay affords Cadfael the chance to retrace the steps of the assassins. Not only will he find Brother Heribert in the process, but a plot that goes to the heart of Roger’s house. Having heard earlier of the Benedictines from Roger’s clerk, and that they do not bear arms, Cadfael, both weary of arms and disgusted by intrigue, leaves his sword at the altar….

The Price of Light

Hamo FitzHamon has reached the age where his loose life is catching up with him and he realizes the day he will face his maker is approaching. To improve his chances and secure some effectual Benedictine prayers, he donates an ornate pair of candlesticks for the church altar, along with funds to keep them lit. But two things happen when FitzHamon and his household come to deliver the gift.

First, his wife asks for a sleeping draft from Cadfael. But it is not for herself but her husband, so she can slip away for a tryst with one of her husband’s servants, which Cadfael overhears. Then, the candlesticks disappear from the altar. Cadfael finds them in a sack of lavender in his workshop. And he identifies the thief as one of the maids, Elfgiva. She has good reason. Her fiance, Alard, had agreed to make the candlesticks in exchange for his freedom. Hamo FitzHamon reneged, and Alard escaped. As we have often seen in other stories, Cadfael quietly works to set things to rights, helping reunite the separated lovers in the process.

Eye Witness

It’s time to collect the Abbey’s annual rents. While a young apprentice clerk fills in for Brother Ambrose, William Rede collects the rents. Madog, the boatman is the next to see him as he pulls him out of the Severn. Someone knocked him unconscious and threw him into the river to drown. His assailant robbed him of the purse with the rents.

But Cadfael figures out that there was a vantage point from which the crime could have been witnessed. He discretely puts about this fact about with the hopes of springing a trap to catch the thief.

The stories all seem to turn on the human follies that trip up wrongdoers. And we see Cadfael’s shrewd use of folly against the perpetrators to bring about just ends. Strikingly, there are no murders, although two murders are attempted.

While we learn of how Cadfael becomes a monk, I still had one question. Where did he learn his herb lore? Wikipedia indicates that it was from the Middle East, and that is plausible, but I cannot remember it being mentioned, and Wikipedia cites no reference. What is clear is that this shrewd, yet holy, monk will be a force to be reckoned with in the Abbey at Shrewsbury. show less

Six-word review: Cadfael's backstory, meant for series fans.

Extended review:

I sought out and read this small volume when I'd completed fourteen of the twenty novels in the Brother Cadfael series. Having come to know the crime-solving medieval monk fairly well by this time, I was interested in the story that explains how and why he made his unexpected transition in middle age from the life of a fighting man to a pledge of poverty, chastity, and obedience behind monastery walls.

Any time after the second or third chronicle, when I was already well entrenched as a series reader, I'd have welcomed this amplification of Cadfael's personal history.

However, I think the three short stories under this cover would have made for a poor introduction show more to the series; they were meant primarily to fill in background rather than to attract new readers. As such, they perform their function well. I don't think it's altogether fair to rate them independently. Rather, a newcomer to the series and the character would do best to start with the first or second of the novels, and come looking for Cadfael in his pre-Shrewsbury days only when moved by curiosity. show less

Ellis Peters had written several of the Cadfael series, and he was well established in his habits and ways when she decided to write this prelude short story. It tells of the journey of his soul from Crusader to Benedictine monk. The other two short stories are more of the Cadfael we know and love, in shorter form.

I love the way Peters allows us to read people through Cadfael's eyes and thoughts. Even in that, we are shown their motivations, not told. There is much introspection, yet it isn't heavy or dreary.

This collection of 3 short stories in the Brother Cadfael series is wonderful. Peters shows her skill at bringing out the depth of Cadfael's understanding of human nature and compassion for human foibles. I especially liked the first story, "A Light on the
Road to Woodstock" which shows a little of the background of Brother Cadfael & why he decided to join the monastery.

The book is the final installment of the Brother Cadfael mysteries & least successful. The author was apparently at this point was no longer interested in the stories so it seems there was little attempt to match the turns & twists of her previous stories. Overall, the Brother Cadfael, with a mix of historical fiction & mystery set around the early 1100s, was well written. With the exception of this book, the series was well done.

Ellis Peters has written twenty novels about Brother Cadfael, a Benedictine monk serving in Shrewsbury in the 12th century. But how did he get there after a life as Crusader in the Holy Lands? A rare Benedictine gives us the answer to our questions in the first short story. Here he meets and helps Father (then Prior) Heribert and, at the same time, finds his life's work in middle age.

There are two other stories: a story of missing candlesticks and a robbery of Abbey funds. And only one almost dead body. Brother Cadfael solves each mystery by his knowledge of human nature. This is a welcome addition to the Cadfael Chronicles.