The Relic Keeper
Inspired by Gerrit van Honthorst’s masterpiece, The Adoration of the Child, and the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
Italy, 1620.
Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo.
Angelo knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence. When he loses his master, his livelihood is shaken. Tozzo’s plunder is hidden in a safe place, but what will happen if someone comes after Angelo to get their hands on the stolen relics? More than that, he feels threatened by words he’s heard too many times; that he’ll always remain unforgiven and doomed.
One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about the hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them.
With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy—an artistic and audacious tale that crosses paths with art collector Vincenzo Giustiniani and the powerful Medici family.
Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events. The Relic Keeper is similar in tone to books by Geraldine Brooks, Tracy Chevalier, Deborah Swift, and Laura Morelli.
Praise for The Relic Keeper:
"... a radiant celebration of hope, kindness, and the beauty that emerges when wounded souls dare to reach towards the light..."
~ Yarde Book Promotion, 5* Editorial Review
Shrouded in darkness, the village slept. Behind the locked doors and closed shutters of the pale brick houses, the townsfolk had long since retired to their bedchambers. Some might find the isolated location chilling and the lack of twilight vision intimidating. The occasional sound of wolves or boars on the prowl in the surrounding forest, heavy footsteps from behind…or the unexpected stroke of a cat rubbing against a bare calf were enough to scare a full-grown man. Apart from a few stragglers staggering home from the corner tavern, Angelo was alone.
His destination, a church at the crest of the hill, was an impressive edifice with a bell tower, thick walls, and stained-glass windows along the sides. Angelo had been inside many times—not to worship, but to peruse the building for valuables small and light enough for him to carry. When he reached the entrance, he pulled the handle and pushed the door open, cringing as the hinges squeaked. His shoulders tightened. Cautious by nature, he turned his head to make certain no one was around. The sight of a boy entering the holy house in the middle of the night would surely raise suspicion. Satisfied he was alone, he stepped inside, his boots thudding lightly on the stone floor of the narthex. He closed the door behind him and paused.
Strange how the priest did not lock the doors. Angelo had spied on the old man but had never seen him use the keys that hung from the chain attached to his belt.
Angelo had heard stories about the spirits of angry saints and otherworldly beings that floated around the church at night looking for someone to prey on. Did such tales worry him? Si, a little. He could not brush aside the thought that there were many things between Heaven and Earth that he did not understand. What was goodness, and what qualified as bad? How was it possible for divinity to connect with man? Could a thief like himself ever find forgiveness?
**
Visiting holy places of worship to look for relics, Angelo had spent years listening to priests speak of saints and apostles. He’d memorized the details and recognized their attributes in the statues and artwork decorating cathedrals and smaller churches. He used their stories for all it was worth. Each saint was a patron for something, and artists portrayed them in their works by including symbols from their life or depicting the manner in which they died. Like Saint Francis of Assisi. From what Angelo had heard, goodness had filled the holy man. In paintings, he always wore a monk’s habit, and animals and birds surrounded him.
“San Francesco spoke with animals,” the priests would say.
**
That night, Angelo returned to the church. The street had been quiet. The merchants had packed up their stalls, and the villagers were safely asleep in their homes.
Angelo had been a thief for as long as he could remember, but lately, he’d started debating with himself, wondering whether stealing from a church was considered sacrilegious. God was a stranger…a distant king, and the people who worshipped him seemed more inclined to talk about the devil. Angelo had been the victim of plenty of threats in his short life. If there were a God, what would He think of a lowly thief like Angelo? Would He pour his wrath down on Angelo’s head like hot lava from an erupting volcano, or would He show mercy upon a young man who had experienced little goodness in his life?
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Heidi Eljarbo
Heidi Eljarbo grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.
Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are her family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
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