The Prodigal Son
by Anna Belfrage with author interview: Learn some fun details about the characters
(See giveaway details at bottom!)
Set in 17th century Scotland during a time of
religious persecution, Anna Belfrage's The Prodigal Son opens to the
departure of Matthew Graham, Alexander Peden and two others from an illegal conventicle,
followed by a half a dozen soldiers seeking to arrest them. Matthew reflects on
his wife Alex, a time traveller from the 21st century, and her
opposition to his covert activities and the consequences they may bring upon their
entire family.
Third in The Graham
Saga series, the novel lays out events in the family’s past as these trials
continue to haunt each member in different ways. Belfrage accomplishes this by
sprinkling information throughout the story, like a flavor that satisfies as
its strength increases. This provides fulfillment for the questions arising,
particularly for readers unfamiliar with the first two of the series' books,
whilst ensuring a taste for more.
Though Matthew narrowly escapes the opening episode, the
soldiers embark on a campaign of harassment, accosting him and searching his
homestead periodically, their goal being to intimidate as much as to turn up
Minister Alexander "Sandy" Peden.
Complicating circumstances include the hatred of Graham's own brother, Luke,
previously responsible for having Matthew deported to the colonies and sold to
indentured servitude. Between Luke and a returned Matthew is Ian, the child
born to Matthew's first marriage with Margaret (now wed to Luke), and whose
paternity is debated throughout the book, though Matthew had been tricked into
relinquishing all rights to the boy.
Alex, a modern woman who by necessity has adapted to life in
her new time and place, slowly warms to Ian, though she fears the cost to her
own eldest son. She perceives Peden to be a fanatic and scorns his belief that
women are spiritually inferior. Though she admires his strength, her views of
his rigidity in matters of faith clash with Matthew's protective actions—acts
that guard Peden from the authorities, but leave the Grahams wide open to total
destruction.
Belfrage serves up details of this threatening aspect, too,
over time, in courses that reveal frightening, hinted-at possibilities and
then, finally, a shocking reality readers may have a difficult time
digesting. While most are aware of religious
persecution in history as well as our own era, human psychology provides a
protection against such knowledge with scant, sometimes forgotten details or by
placing distance between the parties.
Here the author provides no such immunity: we have grown
attached to the Grahams and their children, having seen the various sides of
each and been given a glimpse of their cares in the world. When tragedy
strikes—for the Grahams as well as another family—its proximity sears our
hearts and the reality of what people have had to endure sinks in with a
terrible understanding.
Belfrage makes room, however, for humorous relief,
unappreciated by the commanding officer taking part in questioning Matthew, but
recognized by modern readers for the inquiry's circumstantial nature:
One of the younger soldiers took a step forward. "He's tall
and the man we saw was tall—that we know for sure."
"Ah," Simon [Matthew's attorney and brother-in-law] nodded. "And did he have dark hair?"
"I don’t know," the young man said.
"No? Why not?"
"He was wearing a cloak."
Simon rolled his eyes, smoothed at his coat. "Not much to go
on," he said to the officer, who shifted in his seat.
"Tall, a competent swordsman—and we know Mr. Graham has a
past as a soldier—who else could it be?" the officer said.
"You?" Simon said.
The author creates believable characters who are
simultaneously honest and flawed, whose imperfections, occasional obstinateness
and recognition—if reluctant—for a balanced concern of the difficulties they
face all bring readers to a riveted attention of where each are headed and we
develop concern for their futures: we care what happens to them, and ache when
all does not go well.
Matthew, for example, continually breaks his promises to
Alex by time and again riding back to Peden, passionately maintaining his
inability to forego his spiritual obligations. He roundly condemns the forces
of Charles II for their brutality, though one exchange brings concession by
default: "'[F]or years it was people like my family that were persecuted by
people from your church.' That shut Matthew up."
Neither is Alex spared the confrontation of brutal truths.
Though through the novel she uses her "past" history lessons to remind her of
events or circumstances in the time she now inhabits, it sometimes takes
drastic measures for her to understand her husband's position in more than just
theory. After a brutal beating at the hands of an interrogating lieutenant, she
concedes: "I sometimes forget that this is a time where the little people have
no voice, where the representatives of the crown can do as they please and
there's no venue of recourse."
As implied in the title, however, there is room for
redemption, and as we witness naked fear, cruelty and tragedy, so too do we see
tenderness for the precious in life, hear the stolen laughter and feel the
power of two whose bonds of love will dare to fight to remain united in the
face of all attempts to ruin them. Matthew and Alex's love for one another is
acted out in some explicit romantic scenes—perhaps more than many other works
of historical fiction—as but one part of what makes them whole. That wholeness
also confronts the truth within the extravagance of their divisions and
possibilities of homecoming in more ways than one.
Where this will take the family remains to be seen in
Belfrage's newest novel in The Graham Saga, and though one could
continue on to read the fourth without having experienced the first two, this
reviewer predicts many will want to return to the beginning. This is not because
The Prodigal Son does not work as a stand-alone novel; as stated above,
Belfrage does a spectacular job of seamlessly filling in the blanks of two
complete previous works. However, a feast is a difficult thing to pass up: Alex,
a strong, modern woman on a 17th century learning curve, her equally
resilient husband, their friends and family—readers simply will want to know
more and experience the events in their lives along with them from
beginning to end.
Interview with Anna Belfrage
Hello, Anna, and
thanks so much for joining us today and taking the time to answer some of our
questions.
And hi to you too,
Lisl. I’m thrilled to be here!
 |
The tea is steeped and cake at the ready! I've recently read
The Prodigal Son and was utterly intrigued by the
questions--and some problematic possibilities--raised in
my mind pertaining to Alex's journey back in time. |
The Prodigal Son, third in a series, features time travelling
Alexandra Lind and her 17th century Scottish husband, Matthew Graham,
living in the latter’s time and homeland.
How did you first decide to bring these two characters together from
different eras? Or did they come to a life on their own?
It all began with
Alex. She sort of kept popping up in my head – sometimes at the most
inopportune times – and demanding my attention. Obviously, having a modern
woman speak to me of the hardships in the 17th century grabbed my
attention, and soon most of my nights were populated by dreams featuring Alex.
With Alex came Matthew, at first no more than an outline. (Alex is the jealous
type, and she isn’t too thrilled by how fond I am of Matthew. When she scowls at
me, Matthew grins and winks, rather flattered by our attention.) On a more
serious note, I did know I wanted to set a book in the 17th century,
in Scotland and during a period of religious unrest. As I have a soft spot for
men who have the integrity and courage to defend their beliefs, Matthew grew
into a man of convictions, a man willing to risk a lot for his faith – and for
his family, even if The Prodigal Son
places him in the uncomfortable situation of risking his family for his faith.
Alex, being a modern
liberated woman, faces challenges in the 17th century that she
wouldn’t likely encounter in her “past” life.
How do you decide her balance? That is to say, how does she know when to
assert her independent thought or to step back?
If you ask Matthew, she shows very little
restraint when it comes to voicing her opinions. In general, I agree with him;
Alex is an independent woman – but she is also an intelligent woman, and as she
has no yearning to be tried as a witch, she keeps an adequately low profile
with certain people. I believe all humans have the capacity to adapt very
quickly to new social norms – it is a prerequisite for our success as a species
– and Alex is no exception to this.
Do you see yourself
in Alex at all? If yes, how so? Is she modeled after someone in particular?
I hope I would accept
new circumstances as well as Alex does. And yes, she is forthright and brave,
has a big heart and a capacity to laugh at herself and others – I would like to
believe these are qualities we share. But no, Alex isn’t modelled on anyone but
her own self; she was very much a person in her own right when she started
visiting me.
Every so often in The
Prodigal Son Alex seems to open up a bit for the reader, including once
when she laments the loss of her reading time and material. What kind of books
did Alex like to read?
Alex is a computer engineer. Ergo, it
follows the poor woman had a fondness for reading stuff like Bringing IT
Security to a New Level. She was twelve
when she read The Lord of the Rings
for the first time. Other than that, she read quite a bit of crime with
favourite authors being Reginald Hill and Elisabeth George. She also read
everything by Gabriel GarcÃa Marquez and loved Don Quijote. Her father taught
her to love poetry – mostly in Swedish.
As you wrote the
novel, did you learn anything surprising abut Matthew and/or Alex, or their
children?
I just love the Graham
children, and especially Ian, who is so torn in two. I had no idea Ian was
dyslectic until I wrote the book, neither did I know just how complex Matthew’s
love for his land was. Hillview lives in his blood, sits in his heart. His
little manor is a precious charge he must hand over to the next generation, and
to fail in doing so would be unbearable to him.
Do you have any
interesting writing quirks? Do you write
every day?
I write something
every day. Not necessarily part of a new novel, or so, but I will definitely
set pen to paper (finger tips to keyboard) on a daily basis. Most of it ends up
on my blog – or in the virtual trash can.
Not sure I have any
quirks – hang on; I guess I do. When I’m writing the more action-packed scenes,
and especially if Matthew is in danger, I just can’t write it in one go. I
write a sentence, stand up, take a little turn, pour some tea, watch two
minutes of The Mentalist or whatever
my husband is watching, sit down, write another sentence, exhale, and do it all
again. Very exhausting, let me tell you!
Who were/are your
favorite authors growing up or as an adult?
Growing up I was a
major Henry Treece fan. I read a lot of Rosemary Sutcliff as well, and Tolkien
– always Tolkien. As an adult, I am a fan of Sharon K. Penman, Antonia Fraser, James
Burke, Barbara Nadel, Michael Dibdin and Salman Rushdie – oh, and of Diana
Gabaldon.
What topic have you
never read about that you would like to?
Not sure what you
mean; like things I want to know more about? If so, I’d really like to get to
grips with Plato. And I wouldn’t mind knowing more about astronomy, or about
geology. And I’d like to learn to read music scores. And to speak and read
Russian.
Do you have any
projects on deck currently?
Apart from the ongoing
Graham Saga – and there are more books to go – I have a trilogy tucked away
which tells the story of Jason and Helle, two people who met and loved but
briefly three thousand years ago before he was cheated into betraying her and
thereby caused her death. Since then, he hurtles after her in life after life,
desperately wanting to make amends.
Other than this, I am
working on a novel set in 17th century Sweden and England, starring
a young girl who grows up at Queen Kristina’s court and who becomes rather
attached to a set of jewels that don’t belong to her, and so….
But both these
projects take second place to the Alex and Matthew story – I have a very
emotional relationship with these, my favourite characters. Sometimes I think
they’re around for real, but my husband keeps on informing me that isn’t the
case.
Do you like to read
e-books, or still prefer the sound and feel of paper?
I have become an
e-book addict. Why? Because it’s so convenient, and as I travel a lot, all I
need is my Kindle to carry the equivalent of Ancient Alexandria’s library with
me. But there’s something to reading a “real” book – especially in the bath.
I’ve read of your
fondness for chocolate and recently discovered your love of math. Which do you
like better?
Chocolate! Given the
approaching X-mas season, a chocolate Advent calendar is obviously the perfect
combo….
Given the opportunity
to journey back in time, would you take it? What if you didn’t get to select
the era? If you did, which would you
choose?
I’d like to know for
sure that I could go back. I may daydream a lot about life in other times, but
I think the reality of it was pretty harsh. It was cold, it was dirty, the food
could be dismal, and should you fall sick – or develop a toothache – well, God
help you. (My preferred century, the 17th, was probably one of the
dirtier, as in most European countries the communal bathhouses had definitely
closed by then… ) Despite all this, if I were given the chance…. And if I’m to
choose an era, it would be the 17th century – somewhere in the
Colonies. Or the 15th century in Spain. Or maybe the early 14th
century in Scotland. Or… Agh!
Is there anything
else you’d like to mention to readers about yourself or your books?
I sing a lot. I cheer
my colleagues up by dancing in their doorways – strangely enough, not all of
them seem to appreciate it. I hate flying. I have a car thing, and should
anyone feel like gifting me a bright blue Audi R8, I’d be thrilled to bits. I
make an awesome apple pie. I dreamed of becoming a Navy SEAL and saving the
world when I was young(er). Actually, I still dream of being a Navy SEAL and
saving the world…
Thank you so much for
joining us, Anna, and we hope to see you again soon!
Thank you for having
me, Lisl, and I must say that German Chocolate cake was just the thing on a
cold and rather dreary November day!
Anna Belfrage has so graciously offered two copies of
The Prodigal Son as giveaways. If you would like a copy of the book, simply comment below OR at the Facebook link
for this post and you will be entered for a chance!
*********FOR FACEBOOK USERS*********
To comment at the Facebook link, please click
here
Lisl can also be found at
before the second sleep; if you would like her to review one of your books or conduct an interview, please see our submissions tab at the top.
