Fifteen historical short stories, covering eras from Roman to present-day by Judith Arnopp, Anna Belfrage, Derek Birks, Cathie Dunn, Patricia Furstenberg, Jean Gill, Kathy Hollick-Bater, Helen Hollick, Carolyn Hughes, Amy Maroney, Alison Morton, Elizabeth St.John, Marian L Thorpe, Antoine Vanner, Annie Whitehead. With an introduction by Lorna Fergusson.
The lion has long been a symbol of courage, loyalty, and hope. A creature of power and, in some traditions, of the divine. We imagine it unflinching, unafraid. Yet the truest bravery is not found in the open, but within, where the lion lies hidden, waiting to be called upon. In moments of uncertainty or grief. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to face it. It is the moment when we would rather flee, but instead, find a strength we did not know we possessed.
These powerful and often emotional stories follow men, women, and children as they face profound adversity, the resilience to endure, cling to hope for the future, and the courage to change their lives forever.
Join these ordinary people as they uncover extraordinary strength and emerge, in their own way, lion-hearted.
The Stories – in appearance order: (collated by Helen Hollick)
THE SENTRY by Alison MortRoman province of Noricum, AD 395. When danger strikes and you are on your own with only fear as a companion
THE SAXON by Derek Birks. Southern Britain, the frontier between the Belgae and the Atrebates. AD 471. When escape means more than just running for your life
THE PHOENIX by Marian L Thorpe. Ésparias, a fictional country bordering the western sea circa AD 900. A mother’s dilemma? To keep them safe – or let them go?
SIFLEDE by Judith Arnopp. London, October 1066. When the Normans come, Southwark’s residents need to fight, flee, hide or die
DAISY CHAIN by Annie Whitehead. England, 1141. A mother’s love. A mother’s grief
STEPPING BETWEEN by Anna Belfrage. Ludlow Castle, England, 1308. When all you can do is to endure
CONFRONTING PLAGUE by Carolyn Hughes. England, 1361. When courage must survive in the face of history’s cruellest plague
KATE’S LETTER by Patricia Furstenberg. Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, 1478. One letter, sealed in dragon’s wax
THE PORTRAIT’S SECRET by Amy Maroney. Paris, 1536. When a woman holds a secret, does she keep it, or share it?
LEGACY by Jean Gill. Tudor England, 1558. When a man loses everything, what is his legacy?
A TALETELLER’S TALE by Helen Hollick. Somewhere in the Caribbean, 1709. When the only sound is the song of the sea, do you listen? Or do you drown in the embrace of a mermaid?
THE GATE by Elizabeth St.John. London, 1900 . When courage costs everything
DARKNESS RISING by Cathie Dunn. Venezia, June 1923. Can the mystery of a secluded island, and a murder, be solved before time runs out?
A SACK OF POTATOES by Antoine Vanner. Groenhorst, outskirts of Amersvoort, The Netherlands. November 11th, 1954. Courage meant survival for many – but others relied on greed
GRUMPY OLD GRANDFATHER by Kathy Hollick-Bater. Anywhere, Present-day. It takes courage to fight the memory of fear
A heartfelt thank you for featuring Courage, Tales of History, Mystery and Hope during its blog tour, Tony. This is a beautiful blog post :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tony! It's such a privilege to see my story published in such brilliant company! I hope you enjoy our stories.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Courage, Tony.
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