Man of Sorrows

By MN Stroh

Description:

Ireland 940 AD
Others think young shepherdess Mara fey. No one else in her Clan hears the voices or sees mysterious visitors. But she knows the messengers come from God. Mara commits to keep silent about them until one proclaims she will marry a man meant to bring Scriptural truth to their Clan.
Distraught by her hardships, Mara seeks aid from her childhood friend, Marcan mac Art, a scribe at Cill Dálua’s monastic community who spends his days laboring to create illuminated manuscripts. Yet, in their time of prayer together, the angelic being’s promise unfolds, revealing Marcan as her intended. Now she must somehow sway Marcan, a devout monk, that God predestined them to wed.
Through penance and devotion, Marcan hopes to blot out the burdens of the past and attain righteousness. Mara’s misguided beliefs cast new stumbling blocks in his path. He seeks escape by denying the vices of the flesh. Yet every attempt drives him further from those he loves—and from God. Will the endless trials drown his faith or render illumination?

Book Takeaway:

God has a plan and purpose for your life. The path may be littered with hardship, but we should never let that discourage us from following Christ in faith, knowing He intended that path for us.

Why the author wrote this book:

Initially, I wrote this book as a prequel novella to lay the groundwork for the rest of the novels in my Tale of the Clans series. But along the way, I began to explore the importance of discovering salvation by grace through faith in contrast to salvation by works, as was so heavily emphasized in the middle ages.