{"product_id":"the-lion-and-the-cross-a-novel-of-saint-patrick-and-ancient-ireland-9781504053273","title":"The Lion and the Cross: A Novel of Saint Patrick and Ancient Ireland","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe man who would become Ireland's beloved patron saint confronts his destiny during the tumultuous Dark Ages in this vibrant, enthralling novel\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In 410 CE, arrogant sixteen-year-old Magonus Sucatus Patricius denounces Christianity as a religion for cowards when the Roman legions withdraw, leaving Britain vulnerable to raiders from the west. Determined to wield a sword despite being the grandson of a priest, the affluent young man is taken captive by barbarians and sold into slavery to a cruel Irish king. On a mountaintop in Eire, a shepherd strips him of his grand Roman name and calls him Padraic, marking him a man of no consequence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Set against the magnificent backdrop of ancient Ireland and based on available historical facts, Saint Patrick's \u003ci\u003eConfession\u003c\/i\u003e, and Celtic myth, this gripping novel follows Patrick as he finds his faith while fighting to escape bondage in Eire. Friendship with a king, love for a queen, and enmity with the druids who fear his God will embroil him in a civil war in a land from which he will struggle to flee--only to be called to return. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoan Lesley Hamilton began writing at the age of seventeen. Her first historical novel, \u003ci\u003e The Lion and the Cross: A Novel of Saint Patrick and Ancient Ireland \u003c\/i\u003e(1979), was inspired by the man behind the myths. Writing under the pseudonym William Sarabande, Hamilton is also the author of \u003ci\u003eWolves of the Dawn \u003c\/i\u003e(1986), a novel of Bronze Age Britain, and the international bestselling eleven-volume First Americans series. She lives in Southern California. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Open Road Integrated Media LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50416500211986,"sku":"9781504053273","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_fcc0ffbf-e378-4c14-a773-053941a21f99.jpg?v=1729423328","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-lion-and-the-cross-a-novel-of-saint-patrick-and-ancient-ireland-9781504053273","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}