This and the next three posts address topics in juvenile and young adult fiction with an eye toward developing a list of titles that affirm Catholic values and which may serve as suggestions to those who chose books for reading programs in schools. Please feel free to add to the list. Include author, title, publisher and publication date. Thank you!

With The Chronicles of Xan Trilogy, author Antony Kolenc has skillfully woven a story that will satisfy people of all ages.  The trilogy begins to unfold in 1184 AD. The author invites the reader to feel, see, hear, taste and smell life as it was. The smells aren’t always pleasant.

With the Rule of Saint Benedict as their guide, the monks of Harwood Abbey and the nuns in the adjacent convent “prayed and worked” as they lived out the liturgical rhythm, threw themselves into their ministries, labored in the fields or scriptorium, advancing toward a richer personal and communal peace, order and mutual love. Well, almost; Brother Leo was quite a grouch and would argue with almost anyone. Despite his outbursts, charity and peace prevailed.

Bandits violently sowed discord as they raided nearby Hardonbury Manor. They killed or scattered the serfs. A dark robed figure rescued the bleeding and unconscious twelve-year-old Xan. He regained consciousness in the Abbey’s infirmary and slowly entered the communal life of the monastic orphanage. Brother Andrew became his teacher and father figure; Sister Regina, Xan’s confidant and mother figure. Lucy, also a young teen from the convent, befriended Xan opening the possibility of intimacy in their relationship over time. Xan confronted the bullies of the orphanage and won friends among the younger boys.

Soon a frightful mystery consumed the orphan boys: they spied a dark clad figure, perhaps death itself, who stalked the monastery. The orphans wondered, “Who is this dark stranger?” Xan, no less frightened than the others, earned respect for his bravery and wisdom as he and his young friends sorted through the evidence in search of the missing clue to the mysterious shadow and its close association with death.  Meanwhile Xan’s life and that of the entire community suffered from the complex church vs. state conflicts that threatened lives at the monastery. With each chapter Xan grew as a person preparing for his future path.

The Chronicles of Xan falls into the category of Juvenile Fiction mainly because Xan, the protagonist, and his young friends carry the story. The young reader can identify with the heroics and wisdom of Xan as well as his everyday problems: dealing with a bully, weighing his feelings toward a girl friend, considering his future and the major problems he faced as an orphan. Xan, like modern young adults and persons of all ages, pondered questions such as, “Why does God permit suffering?” “Will God punish me?” “Is there a God?” “How do we find happiness in an imperfect world?” “How can I forgive?” Fortunately for Xan, the greater monastic community had embraced him, offered him security, education, acceptance and guidance as he sought solutions to these troublesome questions.

Kolenc maintains a high level of suspense and sets out tempting clues along with the red herrings, while educating his readers. For instance he uses dialog rich in phrases likely used in 1184 AD. He defines modern terms that originated in medieval times and carefully describes the world in which Xan lived and worked. Kolenc researched the details of the monastic life as it played out during the reign of England’s King Henry II with the aid of Dr. Jennifer Paxton, an expert in Medieval History, to insure that the book met his high standards.

The Chronicles demonstrate practical spirituality. Through Xan the readers are challenged to live out their beliefs and turn toward God for answers to their own troublesome questions. Although Shadow in the Dark meets the definition of Juvenile Fiction, this adult enjoyed it and benefited from it.

The entire Chronicles of Xan Trilogy will serve as a wholesome addition to the reading programs in grades 5-12. It will provide excellent role models and will address problems common to the lives of both young and old. The author carefully exemplifies the most effective form of suspense-mystery writing, leaving the readers hanging at the end of each chapter and anxious to scan ahead to satisfy their curiosity. The Chronicles endear the readers to the arts of writing and reading. I would recommend it to persons of every age and expect that they will each stand taller for their journey with Xan.

(© 2013 Donald J. Mulcare)

DonMulcare

A retired biologist with current interests in vegetable gardening, volunteering at a local nursing home, reading, and writing. Other activities include the study of the practical aspects of applied Gerontology, splitting logs, digging for quahogs and writing blogs. https://dmulcare.wordpress.com/