Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England Paperback – March 31, 2013

"It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears the way for the grace which transforms human souls."This quote by Blessed John Paul II (Salvifici Doloris) could well be the theme of Dena Hunt's exquisite novel, Treason, which takes place in 16th Century England when Catholicism was outlawed. Suffering for the faith in our current North American culture is something most modern Catholics have never considered. Religious apathy is evidenced by half-filled churches and the large numbers of Catholics who openly dissent from Church teachings on abortion, contraception, same sex unions and premarital sex.Since Adam and Eve, sin has been present, but what I have observed is that religious apathy, poorly-formed consciences and subjective truth have made the above sinful behaviors acceptable and the norm. It's becoming more and more difficult for Catholics to practice their faith in our current society.So what does all this have to do with Dena Hunt's exciting new novel, Treason? Well, a lot. Catholics in Elizabethan England were not permitted to practice their faith. Monasteries had their roofs torn off, convents and churches were looted, their artworks and artifacts were removed and stolen.Catholics were expected to change their religion and attend Church of England services (or face huge fines). But many Catholics retained their faith and were forced underground to recite rosaries, go to confession and attend Mass when a priest was available.Priests always bore the brunt of the crown's cruel martyrdom because they were seen as traitors: if they were captured, they were tortured, hung and before death, taken down, drawn and quartered. In fact, Treason is dedicated to Blessed Father Nicholas Postgate, "a Catholic priest who faithfully served his `parish' in the wilds of the Yorkshire moors, always traveling by foot, until he was arrested, hanged, drawn, and quartered at York, at the age of eighty."As well, lay people also suffered martyrdom during this time. Those suspected of harboring priests were hung without a trial.Hunt's story centers around a young priest, Father Stephen Long, who arrives in England to secretly minister to the large numbers of underground Catholics. He wonders "how many more Catholics will have to die to make Queen Elizabeth feel secure." Every time he hears confession or celebrates Holy Mass, he knows he is committing high treason against the Crown, the penalty of which is torture and a painful death.The other main character is Caroline. From the time she was a young girl, Caroline has known that she has been called by God to a contemplative religious vocation. Her mother has died and Caroline is forced by her father into a "safe" marriage to a Protestant. Her husband is not unkind, but he is frustrated by his "wife's" lack of desire. He realizes that her love for him is no different than the love she feels towards all humanity. For Caroline, she must keep her faith secret from her husband. Her vocation is stifled and her suffering is internal. In many ways, Hunt portrays, this is a more difficult suffering to endure. Caroline cannot outwardly practice her faith, but more importantly, she cannot live the vocation to which God is calling her.This is not a morbid book filled only with death. Nor is it a happy-go-lucky story. It is a difficult story to read because suffering and martyrdom were a way of life for Catholics during a time when religious liberty was ripped away from them. In that regard, the author does an excellent job of illustrating grace in action. Surprisingly, this novel also includes a few underlying theology of the body themes, which I did not expect from a novel that takes place in the 1500's.Treason is an artistic masterpiece of Catholic literature and is Catholic fiction at its finest. It has a cast of well-developed, believable characters and beautiful writing, rich in imagery. I savored each sentence and each scene like a piece of fine chocolate. In fact, once I reached the end, I was disappointed. This book is literary candy and I wanted more.However, this novel is so much more than artistic mastery. Treason is a moving and inspiring reminder that our Catholic faith is a great gift and the freedom to express our faith is also a gift and should never be taken for granted.This is the kind of book that should become a classic of Catholic literature. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.Ellen Gable Hrkachaward-winning author

This was a really interesting read if for no other reason than it examined the paranoia and cruelty extant around recusants during the latter part of Elizabeth 1st’s reign - 1581. Focussing on a small cast of mostly Catholics, who are hiding their faith and the various rites that form part of their belief system from the Protestant majority, the novel, which occurs over a few days, explores their desperation and fear.There are two principal characters around which the rest of the cast orbit: a young woman who desires to be a nun but was forced into marriage with a Protestant to protect her, and a freshly minted priest sent to English shores by the Society of Jesus to offer solace to English Catholics and convert other souls.Because it’s told from the Catholic point of view alone, it does read like propaganda, the reign of “Bloody Mary” - where a few hundred “heretic” Protestants were put to death, and the mass slaughter of the Hugenots across France and other parts of Europe - conveniently forgotten. Likewise, the fact two Popes issued Bulls against Queen Elizabeth, offering to pardon anyone for murdering her, as she was a heretic, thus encouraging civil war and worse, is overlooked as the tragedy and betrayal of these good Catholic folk is portrayed.With few exceptions, Protestants are very much the villains in this novel. They’re either bloodthirsty hunters of Catholic souls or vainglorious and self-righteous about Catholics and gloating in the deaths and exposure.In the end, this is what troubled me; how black and white the book appeared. I didn’t mind reading about the whole religious schism and fears of plots and heretics and what it signified for the Queen and government from a Catholic point of view at all. Writing in this period myself and having spent now almost two years immersed in it, the whole question of religion and how political as well as personal it was is utterly fascinating and distressing. Knowledge of the early Renaissance (and other historical periods) also reveal how many wars and injustices, as well as bloody murder, have been committed in the name of God. This is by no means a modern phenomenon. We really haven’t learnt from history. What I didn’t like was the reductive way in which both sides of the religious coin were portrayed – as simplistic “goodies” or “baddies” – even though some of the characters themselves were really interesting beyond and because of their faith. While the novel is mostly historically accurate, a few more shades of grey would have also reflected the actual period, as well as the politics and even religion better as well.Nonetheless, it was interesting to read about this fraught time from a different, if very myopic religious, point of view.

Wonderful historical fiction. I felt as though I was in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Many details were revealing to me, and it is a wonder we humans have sincerely not learned from our mistakes, from our cruelty. This is placed under Catholic authors and understandably so, but I believe it could also belong under just the "historical fiction" category. Terror and persecution happened because of people's faith. Faith was intermingled with politics at that time. It is not a book that someone of a different faith would be tired of reading or would feel it was preachy. This is a book for everyone.The book is a detailed story of families' experiences under Queen Elizabeth and her reign of terror. The underground in this book at that time reminded me of the underground railroad. The story is a frightening reminder of how much of a tyrant Queen Elizabeth was. It also gives us a window into how much people sacrificed to hold on to their beliefs. There was deception for the sake of survival. There was compassion and quite a bit of longing. For quite a few, there was ambition and what we might dub as "social ladder climbing". This story helped me to even more deeply admire how strong people's faith can be and how they will not deny it. I could not help but think of many innocents in the Middle East today.I appreciate the author's details that helped me "time travel" as I read this wonderful book. The character development was good. Even when it seemed hopeless, some characters hung onto their hope. The author gave us tragedy and love. I appreciated the ending. It is worth your time to read the book.

A little difficult to get into at first, but afterwards I found it hard to put down because I wanted to know what happened. Historical novels should tell you something about the times in which they are set. This story recounts the mischievous actions of the Elizabethan government towards Spain, provoking retaliation so that Spain could be characterised as a popish power set to impose itself on England. Life for Catholics in England was very hard. Fined into destitution if they were recusant, living with uneasy consciences if they led a double life of secret Catholicism whilst attending the Anglican services, and facing torture and death if they were discovered harbouring priests, this is the background against which the author paints a picture of the different reactions, ranging from cowardice and cynicism to love and courage, of both the Catholic people and their Protestant neighbours involved in this climate of fear.

This is beautifully written and kept my attention all the way through. It presented to me a viewpoint of post-Reformation England which I had never heard before. I felt the story was rather slight though and seemed to end rather suddenly. Definitely would want to purchase more from this author.

If you're a Catholic looking for a good read then this is a great choice. My dad loves it! :)