Read or listen to chapter one from The Constantine Codex by Paul Maier:

Charming, intriguing, colourful and action-packed. 

I enjoyed The Constantine Codex for many little reasons, and a few big reasons too. Let me summarize the highlights:

Mr. Maier wrote a charming story about a husband and wife team who specialize in archaeology and ancient manuscripts.

Their discovery of a clue about the Constantine Codex leads them into a whirlwind adventure and all the while this couple's relationship, much like the story's overall tone, stays charming all the way through.

Meteora, Greece

The plot highlights an intriguing idea: What if a book of the Bible was lost and has yet to be found? Mr. Maier explores this idea as he sends the main characters around the world in search of ancient overlooked Scriptural manuscripts.


Which brings me to the novel's colourful scenes and settings. From an unprecedented, possibly life-threatening religious debate to the stunning countries visited by Maier's protagonists, this novel never ceases to bring colourful images to the reader's mind. Check out the pictures of these places appearing in the book.

Throne room at the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople, Istanbul

And lastly, Maier's plot is action-packed, barely slowing down along the way. He weaves narrative, dialogue and action together well, which is the key to keep a novel moving.

There were a few aspects of the writing I'd suggest to change. Some of the dialogue comes across as if it were being written rather than spoken, making it seem a little unrealistic at times.

Meanwhile, the tender moments between husband and wife lean towards the cheesy side, although still very sweet, and a few of their discoveries seem a little too coincidental. No big deal, though.

The most well-developed character is the protagonist. His wife, who's also a main character, seems like a carbon copy of husband's character, personality, speech and quirks (except for her fear of heights). Even Caesar's speech in the codex sounds like it's being spoken by the main character. In short, too many cast members sound like copies of the protagonist.

Inside the church building at
Great Lavra monastery,
Mount Athos, Greece

It seems important to point these things out, in case the author finds them helpful feedback for writing future stories. I don't want to seem critical, though, because of how much I enjoyed the story and how tender and kind the author seems to be. His personality certainly came through the story loud and clear, which was a delight to discover.

So let me end on a high note: Besides the adventure, mystery and colourful settings, Maier also tackles an extremely sensitive issue, namely that of religion and violent extremism. He's gentle in carving out a thoughtful place where Christian readers may think about different angles on this issue and he uses the story to highlight the fact that every religion has its extremists, moderates and liberals. His perspective seems wise and balanced and I don't think he could've done a better job of conveying his beliefs on this issue. A job well done.

Readers: Whether you enjoy Biblical history and archaeology, or exciting stories that lead you through interesting puzzles and places, you'll enjoy The Constantine Codex.

And don't miss Maier's post: The story behind the Constantine Codex

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers and LitFuse Publicity.

A Trail of Ink made me laugh.

Hugh de Singleton, a medieval surgeon with a gift for solving mysteries, inherits a delightfully dry sense of humor from his creator, Mel Starr. It's a pleasure to witness the irony, the wit, and the tongue-in-cheek remarks from the viewpoint of the book's humble protagonist. This is one impression that's stayed with me after finishing this excellent work.

History buffs will fancy another outstanding aspect of the book: the skill with which Starr relates intriguing details about the time and place of 14th century Oxford, England.

I noticed it first in the language, which is no surprise, given that Starr has studied medieval English. The book is clear and understandable to the average reader, but Starr treats us to a writing style that brings medieval England to life. Here's the opening of chapter one to show you what I mean:

I had never seen Master John Wyclif so afflicted. He was rarely found at such a loss when in disputation with other masters. He told me later, when I had returned them to him, that it was as onerous to plunder a bachelor scholar's books as it would be to steal another man's wife. I had, at the time, no way to assess the accuracy of that opinion, for I had no wife and few books.

He also has a pleasantly subtle way of teaching little-known facts about everyday life for people like Hugh. I didn't pick up the novel to learn history per se, but I sure picked up some interesting gems along the way. I learned about the St Scholastica Day riot, for instance, as Hugh enters a tavern one morning in pursuit of a suspect:

The place was newly opened for business but had not yet attracted custom. I ordered a cup of wine and settled myself at a bench. The wine was well watered and I wondered that the mayor and sheriff did not fine the fellow. Just such practice caused the terrible St Scholastica Day riots that took so many lives when I was new come to Oxford.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed how Starr weaves the Christian faith into the story through Hugh's first-person perspective. Hugh is much like the rest of us in that the challenges he encounters lead him to reflect on questions of faith, like when a friend in need compels him to put his faith into action:

Master John believes in prayer, but my promise to petition our Lord Christ on his behalf seemed to bring him small comfort. I think he would rather have my time and effort than my prayers. Or would have both. Prayers may be offered cheaply. They require small effort from men, and much from God. The Lord Christ has told us we may ask of Him what we will, but I suspect He would be pleased to see men set to their work, and call upon Him only when tasks be beyond them.

This is the first I've read in the three-book series. I heard it was a great stand-alone novel, and it is. I look forward to catching up on the first two and to the release of book four.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review. My thanks to Monarch Books and LitFuse Publicity.

About A Trail of Ink:
An excellent medieval whodunit by the author of The Unquiet Bones and A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel

Some valuable books have been stolen from Master John Wyclif, the well known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh's investigation leads him to Oxford where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind, but Kate has another serious suitor. As Hugh's pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to his pursuit of Kate?

One of the stolen books turns up alongside the drowned body of a poor Oxford scholar. Another accident? Hugh certainly doesn t think so, but it will take all of his surgeon s skills to prove.

So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval village of Bampton. Masterfully researched by medieval scholar Mel Starr, the setting of the novel can be visited and recognized in modern-day England. Enjoy more of Hugh s dry wit, romantic interests, evolving faith, and dogged determination as he pursues his third case as bailiff of Bampton.

About Mel Starr:
Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren. www.melstarr.org

Visit the Facebook blog tour for A Trail of Ink.

Buy the book at Amazon Canada or Amazon US.

If you enjoy historical fiction, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien & the Inklings, 1940s England, or Arthurian legend, you just might like this new book. I enjoy everything on this list, surprise, surprise. (When I recently told a friend about my interest in ethnomusicology, she said she wasn't surprised because, in her words, "you're interested in everything!" Ha! It's a blessing and a curse, let me tell you!) So anyway, I guess I don't really need to say how happy I'd be find a copy of this book someday.

At the outset of this past decennary I began my university career in the ever addictive major of International Development. After finishing an undergraduate degree in ID and Psychology, and now nearing the end of my master's in Social Work I'm finally coming home!! The last class of my Social Work degree is an elective in cultural and historical analysis, back on the same campus and even the same building in which I took my first International Development class. My graduate experience couldn't have ended better than this. :)

~*~

* At 28, Sarah Polley starts over - What caught my eye in this article was her take on magazine photo-shoots:

Unlike many actresses, Polley, 28, has refused to do these kinds of shoots since she was 16. “I couldn't see how the desire to express ideas in films was connected to selling clothes,” she says. “For me it was like an idea born in outer space.”

I'm starting to become a fan. This interview has also inspired me to see her film, Away From Her, about a husband and wife dealing with Alzheimer's Disease. (More on Sarah Polley)

* Dr. John Stott Retires - I have long appreciated what I've read of John Stott's work, and was somewhat shocked to hear of his retirement. He was one of those people I assumed would 'aways be there', though I know that isn't realistic. So, I've traded shock for bittersweetness... everyone needs to move on, but it's always sad to see respected leaders step down.

* Snatched From the Holocaust - What a moving story of a little girl's experience as an outlaw, so to speak, during WW2. This is the first I've heard of the French contribution, such as it was, to the Allied cause. If your time is limited, then I'd recommend reading the 'snatched' article. If you have some time on your hands check out the online exhibit, Life in the Shadows and a 2003 documentary site, Secret Lives as well.

~*~

Sonnet, To Thomas Clarkson,
On the final passing of the Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, March, 1807.
by William Wordsworth

Clarkson! it was an obstinate Hill to climb:
How toilsome, nay how dire it was, by Thee
Is known,—by none, perhaps, so feelingly;
But Thou, who, starting in thy fervent prime,
Didst first lead forth this pilgrimage sublime,
Hast heard the constant Voice its charge repeat,
Which, out of thy young heart’s oracular seat,
First roused thee.—O true yoke-fellow of Time
With unabating effort, see, the palm
Is won, and by all Nations shall be worn!
The bloody Writing is for ever torn,
And Thou henceforth wilt have a good Man’s calm,
A great Man’s happiness; thy zeal shall find
Repose at length, firm Friend of human kind!

Photo: Romeo Dallaire
Source: pbs.org


Knowing something of Romeo Dallaire's story, I know that his convictions are born out of a first-hand, 'in-your-face' kind of experience with the horrors that humans are capable of committing against one another. This is why I sense the sincerity of his recent pleas to collectively arrest yet another tragedy in the Third World. What got my attention was the urgency in his voice (for anyone who heard him on televised or radio news) which was significantly different in tone than the 'urgency' we hear from various politicians or radical activists. He's warning us not to commit the mistakes of our recent past; he knows we're capable of letting that happen, but he also knows that there is still a ray of hope. Although, it must be frustrating, even infuriating, to try to reason with some of the world's top governments about an issue involving life and death, an issue that has exposed their hypocrisy in the past, and one that may very well do so again.

Retired Canadian general Romeo Dallaire blasted the U.S. and Canada yesterday for failing to rally the world and provide the political will to save people in Darfur. The reason so many people have been allowed to die in Sudan already, Dallaire told a Senate subcommittee, is simple. "There's no self-interest. Who cares about Darfurians? They're sub-Saharan Africans. They're like Rwandans."

"(It's) the fear of casualties in a country that doesn't count in an area that doesn't count," he said. "Not one of us is more human than the other. [...] Why did the Yugoslavians count when we poured in tens of thousands of troops and billions of dollars? Why do others count and why do these Africans in Darfur not count?"

Dallaire also said it's not up to the United States to send troops to end the genocide in Sudan. "Why do you always want to set yourselves up?" asked Dallaire, who led the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda in 1994. "Why should you necessarily have to commit all those capabilities? Why can't the Chinese provide (soldiers)? They've got them."

Dallaire, who pleaded unsuccessfully for 5,000 UN troops to stop the Rwandan genocide that killed some 700,000 people, was hailed by Senator Dick Durbin as a 'hero.' "If more people had listened to him, maybe things could have been different in Rwanda. I hope people listen to him now." Durbin, a Democrat, chairs a new Senate subcommittee on human rights, a first for the country.

While U.S. President George W. Bush was quick to call the Darfur violence genocide, little has been done to quell it. The United Nations says more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes in four years of fighting, rape and plunder.

Durbin introduced legislation yesterday authorizing state and local governments to divest funds from businesses working in Sudan. He noted that Bill Clinton has said his inaction on Rwanda was the worst foreign policy mistake of his presidency. "Now that we have acknowledged for more than four years that this horror is happening on our watch, we must summon the courage and act to stop this carnage."
Canadian Press. (2007, February 7). Dallaire pleads to U.S. for Darfur. KW Record, p. ?.

~*~

"I do sincerely believe that the world cannot sustain the lifestyles of the affluent." - India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 2007

OK, so I tailored the title a little. You'll figure it out as you read the rest of the article below. This humorous examination of Old Testament laws intrigues me for a number of reasons. I wonder why many OT laws even existed, and why God and His Word are said to be unchanging when we clearly don't practise them anymore. I do happen to believe, after learning about the Jews' comparatively disease-free existence throughout much of history, that the guidelines originally given to Israelites regarding nutrition and hygiene have just as much relevance for our health today as it did for them throughout the centuries. But I also wonder why on earth we pick and choose sections of the Old Testament to preach about and follow (e.g. the Ten Commandments, or the nutritional guidelines) while ignoring those that seem absurd. I wonder whether Jesus followed each and every OT law while He was on earth, including the ones mentioned below. I have many questions! Let me know what you think, after taking a look at the following letter:

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15:19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,
Jim