"A fine read that’s elevated by Kinread’s passion for her story..."

• ASIN: ‎ B094C7HNJG
• Publisher: ‎ Vanguard Press (6 May 2021)
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 359 pages
• Genre: British & Irish Historical Literature

The BookViral Review:

An interesting new take on the life of Saint Patrick and a praiseworthy release from Kinread The Missionary is more entertaining than Bible-adjacent stories are usually allowed to be and makes for a highly enjoyable read.

Meaningfully writing about historical religious characters is all about embracing the weighty moral, religious and political components of their stories which is something Kinread has done with real dramatic substance. Pulling these elements together in a narrative that clearly defines who the main characters in her story are, what they stood for and why we should care about them.

On this level, she gives us intriguingly contrasted character portrayals that are sweeping, savage, intimate, tender and bittersweet whilst notable period and geographical setting details bring Saint Patrick’s fascinating and tragic backstory along with its many simple human qualities to life.

The Missionary is engaging because it’s actually about something of depth: the love of God, devotion to faith, the clash between beliefs and Kinread’s resulting narrative has its heart entirely in the right place. Finding the right balance between historical fact and human drama whilst giving us some (stylised) sense of Saint Patrick’s inner life along with his emotional and spiritual architecture.

Managing to do this without artifice or pretension what emerges is a story with genuine moments of grace but perhaps more importantly we come to know Patricius the man as well as the Saint.

A fine read that’s elevated by Kinread’s passion for her story and the characters she vividly brings to life The Missionary is highly recommended 5 star read.