ECHOES ON THE ROCK

Generations of an Italian family suffer religious persecution over 400 years in Dearden’s historical novel.

In 1487, Daniel Reynaud enthusiastically answers Pope Innocent VIII’s call to travel from his home in Lyon, France, to Piedmont, Italy, to hunt down heretics: the Vaudois, a Christian sect that believes only Jesus is the proper head of the church, thereby rejecting the authority of the Pope. A talented archer, Daniel is eager to join the fight but horrified by the merciless way the Pope’s army murders “the Waldensians,” as they are often called, including unarmed women and children; his moral crisis is astutely depicted by the author. He decides to abandon his own troops and warn the Vaudois of an imminent attack, as he’s attracted to their principles—and to the young woman, Lena Jaquet, who teaches them to him. In this panoramic tale, which stretches from the 15th to the 19th century, Dearden chronicles the relentless persecution experienced by the Vaudois in Italy with a special focus on the family line that descends from the marriage of Daniel and Lena. (In the final part of the story, set in the mid-19th century, James Reynaud finally leaves Italy for the United States, intoxicated by the ministry of the Mormons and exhausted by the perennial struggle of the Vaudois.) Especially for a novel directed toward a younger readership, this is a marvelously complex tale, both historically painstaking and morally nuanced. The Vaudois are not simply heroes, as James learns upon his conversion; they are as capable of prejudice and dogmatism as anyone (“An unfortunate reality of mankind is that people begin to hate those things which they don’t understand”). Also, while America has a reputation for religious liberty, there is no shortage of closed-mindedness there as well. This is a fascinating story, perfectly composed for its target audience.

A historically thoughtful and dramatically thrilling tale sure to delight readers.