The Huguenot Series
Books by Phyllis Harrison
Phyllis Harrison is the author of The Fires of Europe and Plowshares in the Palatinate,
historical novels
The Fires of Europe
Gilles Montroville is like any other bored teenager: He’s tired of school, doesn’t
want to go into the family business, and he’s tired of people telling him what
to do.
Rebellion is not an option. Life in France in the Year of Our Lord 1640 is difficult
under any circumstances but especially for those who have fallen from favor
with the all-powerful church and the guardians of that power. The King and
Cardinal Richelieu oversee a network of priests who set snares for the
Huguenots, those not following closely enough to the official interpretation of
Catholicism. Wealthy citizens are in danger, too, as they are often accused of
heresy for the purpose of seizing their land to pay for the costly ongoing war.
Young Gilles cares nothing about politics or religion, but a glimpse into another
world, a world of complete freedom and exotic strangers, leaves him wanting
more from his life. He attempts to live the life that his parents have planned
out for him but a sudden turn of events launches him into a world far away from
his protected childhood and provincial home, a world that he could never have
even imagined.
Plowshares in the Palatinate
During the 17th century religious struggles in Europe, French Protestants or
“Huguenots” are obliged to flee their Catholic homeland or face execution.
Although it has already been ravaged by the many battles fought in that region
during the Thirty Years War, one small German state, the Rhenish Palatinate,
offers refuge to anyone who wants to try and live there. After fleeing France
and living for a time in Holland, a young Huguenot tries to reconnect with his
former countrymen and his heritage, bringing his growing family along with him
as he joins a group of French colonists who have come to this rural outpost
seeking religious freedom. Establishing a viable settlement on the banks of the
Rhine River proves to be a greater challenge than anticipated, threatening
collective as well as individual survival. The hardships that they endure take
the pioneers to the limits of their mental and physical capacities, testing
their faith in their god and their faith in themselves.
Please feel free to contact Phyllis Harrison by email with any comments, questions, or for speaking engagements and interviews.
Phyllis Harrison is the author of The Fires of Europe and Plowshares in the Palatinate,
historical novels
The Fires of Europe
Gilles Montroville is like any other bored teenager: He’s tired of school, doesn’t
want to go into the family business, and he’s tired of people telling him what
to do.
Rebellion is not an option. Life in France in the Year of Our Lord 1640 is difficult
under any circumstances but especially for those who have fallen from favor
with the all-powerful church and the guardians of that power. The King and
Cardinal Richelieu oversee a network of priests who set snares for the
Huguenots, those not following closely enough to the official interpretation of
Catholicism. Wealthy citizens are in danger, too, as they are often accused of
heresy for the purpose of seizing their land to pay for the costly ongoing war.
Young Gilles cares nothing about politics or religion, but a glimpse into another
world, a world of complete freedom and exotic strangers, leaves him wanting
more from his life. He attempts to live the life that his parents have planned
out for him but a sudden turn of events launches him into a world far away from
his protected childhood and provincial home, a world that he could never have
even imagined.
Plowshares in the Palatinate
During the 17th century religious struggles in Europe, French Protestants or
“Huguenots” are obliged to flee their Catholic homeland or face execution.
Although it has already been ravaged by the many battles fought in that region
during the Thirty Years War, one small German state, the Rhenish Palatinate,
offers refuge to anyone who wants to try and live there. After fleeing France
and living for a time in Holland, a young Huguenot tries to reconnect with his
former countrymen and his heritage, bringing his growing family along with him
as he joins a group of French colonists who have come to this rural outpost
seeking religious freedom. Establishing a viable settlement on the banks of the
Rhine River proves to be a greater challenge than anticipated, threatening
collective as well as individual survival. The hardships that they endure take
the pioneers to the limits of their mental and physical capacities, testing
their faith in their god and their faith in themselves.
Please feel free to contact Phyllis Harrison by email with any comments, questions, or for speaking engagements and interviews.