Title: Savior
Author: Martha Kennedy 
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: lulu.com
Release Date: May 24, 2014
Format: Paperback/Kindle
About the Book:
Imagine living in a world where depression is not regarded as a disease, but as Satan trying to steal your soul. Imagine turning to your priest. He counsels you to take the Cross and travel thousands of miles to the Holy Land to kill people so you can be free of Satan forever. Imagine you believe this so fervently that none of the rational arguments offered by your parents, your friends or your beloved persuade you otherwise. The journey costs everything except the one thing you hoped to lose — your life. This is that story. Set in the world of the thirteenth century with its music, constant warfare and always-present God, fate takes Rudolf and his adventure-seeking brother, Conrad, from their home in the Albis Mountains near Zürich, to one of the final battles of the Crusades – the Battle of La Forbie.
My Review:
When I started reading Savior, I expected a straightforward, action-filled story of the Crusades. And while this book is that, it is so much more. It’s also a journey of self-discovery, a story of spiritual awakening, and a tale of the power of love and family.
The book’s main character, Rudolf, struggles with depression. It had never occurred to me that depression existed back in the Middle Ages, but of course, it did. As with some churches today, mental illness was viewed as a sin. Having dealt with depression myself, it’s hard to imagine how difficult it would be to struggle with “the darkness”without any kind of support system like we have today.
After experiencing first hand the horrors of war, Rudolf meets a Maronite monk in the desert. The monk teaches him some powerful lessons such as where is God when we can’t find Him? What is truth and the perception of truth? Who is my neighbor? What if I think I know where I’m going and God changes the plan?
One of the most powerful lessons I learned from Youhanna, the monk in the story, was this:
If your heart beats in fear, look around to see if there is an enemy, if you see none, your body is telling you the enemy is inside. Heed it, and it will help you.
In the end, Rudolf discovers what is most important to him and becomes, in many ways, a different person, or at least a more mature one, than he was at the beginning of the story.
I highly recommend Savior for readers of historical fiction. In addition, those who appreciate a story of self-discovery with a Christian theme will enjoy this book immensely.
About the Author:
Martha Kennedy (1952 – ) was born in Denver, Colorado and has published three works of historical fiction set in medieval and early modern times, and one fractured romance in the form of a novella.
Martha Kennedy earned her undergraduate degree in American Literature from University of Colorado, Boulder and her graduate degree in American Literature from the University of Denver, having had the great fortune to have Robert D. Richardson, Jr. as her thesis advisor. She lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China in the early 1980s and has traveled intensively (not extensively!) in Switzerland, which provided the inspiration for her novels. She has also spent time Northern Italy where she studied Italian and painting.
For many years she lived in the San Diego area, most recently in Descanso, a small town in the Cuyamaca Mountains. She has recently returned to Colorado to live in Monte Vista in the San Luis Valley. She has taught college and university writing at all levels, business communication, literature and English as a Second Language. She has published many short-stories and articles in a variety of publications from the Denver Post to the Business Communication Quarterly.
Very comprehensive review! Savior would be a good romp into a Historical Realm.