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Penelope Wilcock

The monastic rhythm of life at St Alcuins means that all is peaceful on the surface, but beneath there are strong currents as each monk contends with his own hopes, fears, challenges, and temptations. 

Not every monk is settled and secure. Sadness permeates the monastery when it is discovered early one morning that one of the novices, Brother Cedd, has disappeared. It quickly becomes clear that disturbance in the life of one can impact many. As the day goes on, the question looms: will Brother Cedd return? And what will be the consequences if he doesn't? 

In this moving conclusion to The Hawk and the Dove series, Pen Wilcock describes a single day in the life of the community weaving a deeply touching, frank, and witty tapestry of monastic life.

Lion Fiction

The Hawk and the Dove Series

A Day and a Life

Madeleine Hazell and William de Bulmer have been married a year. 

She is a healer, a wise woman, practical, intelligent and blunt. He is not only an ex-monk, but an ex-abbot, a man accustomed to authority, a gifted administrator, at home with figures - but less capable in such matters as shutting up chickens for the night. They are deeply, irrevocably in love. And every conversation may become a battlefield that leaves both wounded and resentful. 

When the aged monk who served as cellarer dies, Father John, the Abbot of nearby St Alcuin's Abbey, finds himself critically short-handed. Who will handle the rents? The provisions? He is a gifted infirmarian, a capable leader, but estate management is beyond his competence. With a sense of rising panic he turns to his friend, the man who renounced his vows for love, the former Father William - only to find that his own pastoral skills may be required in matters matrimonial.

The Breath of Peace

Father William knew something was changing deep within him. 

He felt it-from his belly, from his from his heart, from his soul-the reality of what was streaming forth unchecked. There was no denying it. This was love. Yet Father William has more to worry about than simply upholding his vows to God, to the brothers of St. Alcuin, and to Abbot John. The brotherhood is running out of money and Father William must decide whether or not to take matters into his own hands. 

Seasoned author Penelope Wilcock unlocks the story of one man's struggles, mistakes, and heart's longings, and traces the possibility of what it means to get things wrong and to begin again.

Remember Me

At St Alcuin's Monastery, in 14th century Yorkshire, Abbot John is in shock after learning of the rape of his sister and murder of his mother. 

The refugee Father William is discovering his own vulnerability. As they support their leader and their barely-welcome guest, the community of brothers undertake the task of nurturing the grace of God in their souls. 

The Hour before Dawn explores the psychological impact of grief and trauma, and the possibility of healing. Wilcock deftly weaves themes of the resurrection and ascension throughout the story, exploring the process of having survived suffering, but not yet having moved on. Based on solid historical research, Wilcock's representation of monastic life is authentic, rich with poetic prose and a sense of time and place.

The Hour Before Dawn

This latest in Wilcock’s The Hawk and the Dove series takes readers into the world of a fourteenth-century monastery struggling to forgive an old enemy seeking refuge. 

The first of three sequels to the celebrated The Hawk and the Dove trilogy takes place one year after the end of the third book, in the early fourteenth century. A peaceful monastery is enjoying its new abbot, who is taking the place of Father Peregrine, when an old enemy arrives seeking refuge. Reluctantly taking in Prior William, the upended community must address old fears and bitterness while warily seeking reconciliation. But can they really trust Prior William? 

In her fourth book in the series, Penelope Wilcock wrestles with the difficulties of forgiveness and the cautions of building trust. Taking the form of journal entries, her story will delight the imaginations of readers captivated by a time and place far distant from our current world. Her timeless themes, however, will challenge our prejudices today as we, along with her characters, are forced to ask ourselves, “What is the hardest thing to do?”

The Hardest Thing to Do

In this concluding volume of The Hawk and The Dove trilogy, The Long Fall deals with the slow decline of Peregrine's powers as he slides gradually into dementia.

Peregrine, strong and beloved abbot of St. Alcuin’s monastery, suffers a stroke. Now incapacitated, he begins an arduous recovery with the help of his brothers in the infirmary.

Brother Tom, the young monk closest to him, is horrified by the suffering Peregrine’s illness has inflicted. He keeps his distance, out of his depth. How will he find the courage to make this demanding journey of vulnerability with his friend? How will they communicate, now that Peregrine can no longer speak? How will Tom respond to the terrible, secret promise his abbot asks him to make?

In this journey to the depths of humanity, the two men discover together the treasures of darkness and the intimate mystery of compassion. Engaging and beautifully written, warm and haunting, The Long Fall concludes the first trilogy in the Hawk and the Dove series.

The Long Fall

'What a delight a first-time reader of the series has ahead of them!' Donna Fletcher Crow 

At the end of The Hawk and the Dove Father Peregrine is horribly injured in an attack originating from his previous life as a nobleman, before his calling to the monastic way.

Now, badly crippled, he finds himself humbled to request assistance of his fellow monks in the simplest task. Nevertheless the old indomitable spirit burns brightly. When he is asked to contribute to a conference on justice he finds himself ranged against the formidable Prior William. 

The intrigues of monastic life can test the strongest: and Peregrine is no longer strong.

The Wounds of God

'Even in the darkest moments of the story, hope tarries in the wings. A wonderful writer, a wonderful read.' Liz Curtis Higgs, New York Times bestselling author

'Wonderfully insightful, with a rich historical storyline. There’s more substantial content here than in much Christian fiction – about grace, about leadership and loyalty, about humility, about disability and suffering.' FaithfulReader.com

The Hawk and the Dove is a captivating tale of Father Peregrine, the newly appointed Abbot of St Alcuin's, a Benedictine monastery in Yorkshire in the fourteenth century. Peregrine, a hawk trying to be a dove, is an imperfect and impatient man whose efforts to become the Abbot he believes he should be, make up much of the story.

Despite the challenges, Peregrine and his fellow flawed monks are devoted to their calling and to each other. As they navigate their way through personal struggles and confront the difficulties of the times, they learn about grace, leadership, loyalty, humility, disability, and suffering. Their struggles are timeless and relatable, offering insight into finding our place, dealing with setbacks, living with difficult people, and discovering our own limitations.

With rich historical details and substantial content, The Hawk and the Dove is a wonderful read that offers hope even in the darkest moments. Join Father Peregrine and his community of monks on a journey of faith and discovery in this compelling opening title.