Brief Book Review: The Confession of Brother Haluin

Author: Ellis Peters

Publisher: General Paperbacks, 205 pages

The Author 

Ellis Peters is the fiction writer of the Benedictine Cadfael mediaeval whodunit series. This particular volume is number fifteen.

Short Summary

It is the winter of 1142, and Brother Haluin falls while helping to repair the damaged roof of the St. Peter and St. Paul Abbey hall. He is seriously injured, and so he makes what he believes could be his deathbed confession to the Abbot and Brother Cadfael.

With the assistance of Cadfael, he survives the fall. Still limping, and in need of crutches to walk, he decides to go on a penitential journey, accompanied by Cadfael. There are several interesting, adventurous events on the journey, including a murder, as well as a couple of unknown discoveries connected with Brother Haluin’s past. 

In the end, Brother Haluin, in this reviewer’s mind, makes the wrong decision by remaining a monk instead of considering another viable option. 

A brief critique: Although it is acknowledged that Brother Haluin most likely became a monk for the wrong reason or reasons, Ellis Peters seems, ultimately, to idealize the monastic vocation in the novel, to the detriment of other vocations. 

What Ellis Peters does succeed in doing quite well in the novel is presenting the “sins” of England’s 12^th century patriarchal and class-oriented society. 

Another Short, Short Story

Once upon a time, in the imperfectly perfect city of Purfeckt, lived some imperfectly perfect citizens who were in the process of electing a new mayor and city council. 

   The present mayor and 3 of the 7 city councillors were electioneering again, hoping the citizenry would re-elect them. 

   However, there were other candidates running too, most of whom were young, and inexperienced in civic politics. They were Sally, Mary, Harry and Barry. Or the 'rhyming Simons' as many citizens called them-some in jest because they alleged that these newbies had nothing unique to contribute to civic politics, they were all blowing the same trumpet so-to-speak, offering no viable alternatives to the present council.

   Then, at the last moment, a new candidate registered, with only a handful of citizens actually knowing her. 

   She was a recent refugee from Rwanda, a feminist, a devout critic of the status quo on matters of politics in the state and the church. 

   Her campaign was simple, yet profound. Zero umemployment rate, zero poverty rate, perfect peace with justice policies and love with mercy policies that guaranteed living wages for everyone, free education, free music, art and literature events that involved the whole city every week at city hall. There would be no need for police or jails or guns or emergency shelters and homes for the abused, since no one would have the need to break any laws, no one would be abused, no one would resort to violence to solve problems, no one would be bullied, or manipulated or hated, all would be loved, accepted and equal in the city, all would look after all.

   She was elected mayor for life, her name was Shalomie, and everyone lived happily ever after in the now perfectly perfect city of Purfeckt. One day, she observed, "This is all possible because the Messiah has come."