THE PRIESTʼS WIFE
by A. G. Rivett
As announced in The Bookseller
In the second book of A. G. Rivettʼs Isle Fincara Trilogy, the focus shifts to Morag, the priestʼs wife. We meet her at a turning point, when loss brings in its wake further unwelcome changes. And a challenge: to know herself anew. This turns into a quest for identity, as she is freed to go on a journey back to her roots to discover what she can about her mysterious mother.
The Priestʼs Wife, like The Seaborne, is about community as well as individuals. That allows for a lightness of touch and some humour in the wider world of the narrative. But change is coming from the mainland to the Island, sweeping aside the old ways. Out in the west, the people of Caerpadraig are resistant to the new religion. Tension opens up a void and eyes turn towards Morag to fill the gap.
The Priestʼs Wife is a story of individuals pushed to the limit, but finding their way through. It explores depression, psychological breakdown—and emergence.
The Story
When her husband the priest dies, Morag loses more than her life partner. With him goes her home and her place in the community. When her identity is also called into question, she sets out on a quest to find herself anew.
Meanwhile, the new priest brings with him a religion that seeks to sweep away the mix of Celtic myth and Christian story that has sustained the islanders for many years.
A vividly imagined journey through an alternative Celtic reality which skilfully combines an intriguing narrative with lyrical description and spiritual depth.
Maggie Hamand
Author of Virgin and Child
Suspenseful and engaging. A thoroughly good read that challenges the assumptions that hold us back.
Isabel Clarke
Author of Madness, Mystery and the Survival of God
This book has been published with the financial support of the Books Council of Wales.
