The Monks' Barn - Paperback

by Becky Morel (Author)

A young enameler, Guerric Lefèvre, responds to the desperate plea from his tutor's brother, the prior of Grandmont monastery, to help identify a group of evil lay brothers operating in the priory's newly constructed tithe barn. Asked to masquerade there as a lay brother himself, what he uncovers threatens not only his own life but that of others including the prior. Guerric's task is made even more complex because he has fallen in love with a young woman in the nearby village of Ambazac who weaves habits for the monks but to whom Guerric does not dare reveal who he really is for fear of jeopardizing his original assignment. This story is true to late twelfth-century history when Richard the Lionheart continues his father's, Henry II, patronage of Grandmont. However, in this tale of fiction, King Richard plays a crucial role at the end.

Author Biography

Becky lives in Colorado and is a mother of four, grandmother of eleven, and great-grandmother of ten. Her French husband, Claude, was born in the manor house adjacent to the barn, both of which remain in his mother's side of the family. Although the Grandmont Order's motherhouse no longer stands, Becky and her husband have often visited the barn and were especially delighted to take part in the 900th anniversary celebration commemorating the barn's construction by the Grandmont monks. She decided to write The Monks' Barn as a tribute to her late husband's heritage and in gratitude for his translation of pertinent research from Latin and French. Hopefully, any sales will help raise funds to keep the barn in good repair. The barn is recognized by the French government as a masterpiece in danger, and its unique history, along with its use now for various events, warrants its preservation.