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The Hour before Dawn

The Hour before Dawn

By Penelope Wilcock

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Retail Price: $12.99
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(Paperback)

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About The Hour before Dawn

An awful crime has been committed.

A leader is shaken to the core.

And together the brotherhood looks toward the dawn of restoration.

Abbot John never knew he could feel this way—utterly empty, dazed, breakable. The agony of his soul felt as though the whole of him were racked . . . stretched . . . stretched . . . stretched to breaking, to the brink of tearing apart. Having just learned of an unthinkable family tragedy, the enormity of pain was more than he could bear. How could this have happened? What could he possibly do?

As heartache and suffering linger like a cold, dark night, the brothers of St. Alcuin undertake the greatest task of nurturing the grace of God in their souls as they eagerly await the coming dawn of healing and hope.

The Hour before Dawn explores the aftermath of trauma—the space between suffering and restoration—helping readers understand the grieving process and nurture an attitude of understanding and kindness.

Endorsements

“Once again Penelope Wilcock drew me back into fourteenth-century monastic life with a fine mix of descriptive details and evocative language. The peaceful world of St. Alcuin’s Abbey is quickly shattered by a violent tragedy and its aftermath, creating genuine heartache, tension, and spiritual angst. The timeless themes woven throughout the pages of The Hour Before Dawn spoke to my heart, in particular William’s journey of faith and John’s hard-won understanding of the power of the Ascension. Even in the darkest moments of the story, hope tarries in the wings. A wonderful writer, a wonderful read!”
-Liz Curtis Higgs, New York Times best-selling author, Mine is the Night and Bad Girls of the Bible
“The Hour Before Dawn takes Penelope Wilcock’s saga of life at St. Alcuin’s Abbey to the next level. The emotions are real, vivid, and raw. Gritty realism and heart-wrenching suffering are layered into this story, counterbalanced by redemptive tenderness and noble self-sacrifice. Wilcock weaves a tale of complex interpersonal relationships against the backdrop of a medieval monastery. This novel is a brilliant exploration of what it means to be human—and more importantly, what it means to be a human remade in the image of Christ.”
-Bryan M. Litfin, Professor of Theology, Moody Bible Institute; author, The Sword, The Gift, and Getting to Know the Church Fathers
“Penelope Wilcock has created a wonderful cast of characters for her medieval series. The Hour Before Dawn deals with the universal theme of evil and the Christian response, and sets the tale in a marvelously accurate fourteenth-century monastery. For the lover of medieval mysteries this is a book not to be missed.”
-Mel Starr, author, The Unquiet Bones, A Corpse at St. Andrew’s Chapel, and A Trail of Ink 
“The Hour Before Dawn shows vividly how the wrenching horror of cruelty can be overcome by the unspeakable beauty of restoration. I know of no other writer who sees so clearly into the souls of her characters as does Penelope Wilcock. And sees with such humor and love. Her prose is like rich, dark chocolate poetry. This book offers a deep well of mercy and grace and forgiveness—even forgiveness of self. Drink from it.”
-Donna Fletcher Crow, author, Glastonbury: The Novel of Christian England and The Monastery Murders

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Specifications

Format: Paperback
Page Count: 224
Running Time: 0
ISBN-10: 1-4335-2659-X
ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-2659-6
Size: 5.5 in x 8.5 in
Weight: 8.7 ounces
Published: January 31, 2012

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