Title: Castaways of the Holy Land - Sheri Holman - book
Summary :
At the end of the 15th century, Brother Felix Fabri, a Dominican monk from Ulm, embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the company of German lords. His dearest desire was to go to Mount Sinai, where Catherine of Alexandria, the saint he had "married" by taking his vows, was buried. However, in Crete or Rhodes, where he delighted in venerating Catherine's hand or ear, they disappeared at the very moment of his arrival. Who is stealing these precious relics? This is what Brother Felix will strive to discover. An investigation that will profoundly shake the convictions and faith of this man of common sense and strong prejudices. Thanks to the journal he kept for his brothers in Ulm, we follow his long journey. He treats us to delicious reflections on the creatures that inhabit the Ocean (sirens or dryads, and Troyp, the sea monster that circles ships to pierce their sides with its long, sharp beak), on our origins (the fires of Saint John are lit to ward off flying dragons, too inclined to spread their sperm in wells and waterways...), or on the morals of his pilgrim brothers, true "tourists" of the time. However, around our brother Felix, fascinated by a mysterious couple, death prowls, until the denouement, in the arid and burning desert of Sinai. This is an unusual, gripping, witty, remarkably documented historical thriller, in the tradition of Umberto Eco and the great medieval epics. "In this debut novel, Holman keeps his readers on the edge of their seats with strange puzzles and studied suspense. His perception of eternal ironies is as unerring as his depiction of the pre-modern world is captivating. This is a very strong literary introduction."
