The Hawk and the Dove Trilogy (3-in-1 Volume) (Redesign) (The Hawk and the Dove) [eBook]

In honor of nearly twenty years in print, and in the midst of three new volumes in the series, Crossway is rereleasing this classic trilogy, redesigning the cover and retypesetting the interior. Set in a medieval monastery and following the lives of the brothers of St. Alcuin, this three-in-one package consists of books 1 – 3: The Hawk and the Dove, The Wounds of God, and The Long Fall.

While the characters belong to another century, their struggles are our own—finding one’s place, coping with failure, living with impossible people, and changing when we realize that we are the impossible ones. Rich with imagery and emotion, their tales depict love in action and love given in the most trying of circumstances.

Penelope Wilcock takes a course that far too many Christian fiction writers never dare to take—writing a love story about God and man, and love between brothers in Christ rather than the typical romance between man and woman. A true ministry to the lonely of heart, Wilcock’s captivating tales of monastic life reflects the timeless human struggle of people learning to love God and to receive his grace.

PENELOPE WILCOCK is the author of ten books of fiction and poetry. She lives a quiet life on the southeast coast of England with her husband and is the mother of five children.

“Poignant, moving, rich with imagery and emotion… Modern readers will easily identify with each character in Wilcock’s timeless human dramas of people learning to love and serve one another while growing in their understanding of a tender and compassionate God. Highly recommended reading.”
—Midwest Book Review

“This is a wonderfully insightful volume, 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

“Set in a medieval monastery, this three-in-one package reprints the original trilogy made up of The Hawk and the Dove, The Wounds of God, and The Long Fall. As the characters grow together in their understanding of Christ, they must learn to accept their own failings and gain strength from that acceptance. A popular series, this makes a good purchase.” 

—Library Journal

“I fell in love with Penelope Wilcock’s Hawk and the Dove series when it came out more than twenty years ago. These books are still among my favorites and, incredibly, the series keeps getting better and better. What a delight a first time reader of the series has ahead of them!”
—Donna Fletcher Crow, author, Glastonbury: The Novel of Christian England and The Monastery Murders

“This masterful look into a bygone era reminds us that Christians of every age have faced the same basic struggles: how to worship God in spirit and truth, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The inhabitants of St. Alcuin’s Abbey reveal a piety that is foreign to many believers today—and is in sore need of recovery. Many thanks to Penelope Wilcock for showing us, through the power of literature, an old way to new life.”
—Bryan M. Litfin, Professor of Theology, Moody Bible Institute; author, The Sword, The Gift, and Getting to Know the Church Fathers

“Penelope Wilcock has created a wonderful cast of characters to fill the marvelously accurate fourteenth-century monastery in her medieval series. For the lover of medieval mysteries this is a series not to be missed.”
—Mel Starr, author, The Unquiet Bones, A Corpse at St. Andrew’s Chapel, and A Trail of Ink 

“Now and again, the right book comes along at the exact right moment, and the timing makes the difference between a good read and a beloved read. The Hawk and the Dove Trilogy is one of those books for me. The themes that linger are God’s grace shining brightest through (not despite) weakness, as well as the refrain, ‘God forgives you, and so do I.’ It is a rare piece of fiction that moves me to worship as this did… It also gave me hope for my own weaknesses and limitations and the way they impact my community. Ms. Wilcock does a masterful job of characterization. I found this trilogy inspiring, perhaps the most devotional, grace-filled Christian fiction I’ve read since Francine Rivers’ The Mark of the Lion trilogy.”
—Christina Moore, Texas

“I have read and reread Penelope Wilcock’s trilogy and given it to friends and family to read. Her character development displays a deep understanding of the human condition. Her writing also beautifully captures the complexities of the soul and illuminates the process of real transformation in the context of divine love. I have been moved to tears by this book as often as I have found myself laughing out loud! This is a story about transformation through relationships… A reader cannot help but finish the novel deeply impacted and richly blessed.”
—E. Esmiol, California

“This book is beautiful in every respect. The stories are truly new, nothing that is cliché or commonplace. The writing is crystalline and beautiful but also simple… I hold this series up with The Wise Woman by George MacDonald and Perelandra by C.S. Lewis for the lessons it taught me and for the beauty it showed me. It is a truly redemptive story.”
—P.J. Wong, New Mexico

“The Hawk and the Dove is timeless in its portrayal of the many nuances of human nature. While portraying the disciplines and austerity of the pre-Reformation monastery, this series is yet warm and beautiful, lighted with an unforgettable ambience. With all their faults and frailties, the love of these humble brothers for their Lord and for each other makes a haunting and long-to-be-remembered story. Wilcock highlights the need to understand and embrace those who find themselves marginalized and relegated to loneliness in our church community—the deaf, the mentally handicapped, and the incontinent, to name a few. I highly recommend this book to all who wish to be both entertained and challenged.”
—Rosemary C. Freeman, Kansas

“I found this book to be quite engaging and beautifully written. It was a joy to read and I found that it is worth reading again.”
—Sandra Nelson, California

“We have used Wilcock’s books as devotionals at our staff meetings over the years and they have been an amazing tool in discipleship, particularly with people that struggle with self-loathing. But they also are great tools for plain, old-fashioned evangelism, for people who are nowhere near the inquiry road to truth. This trilogy has opened many doors.”
—Elvira McIntosh, leader, Cornerstone Community, Dubbo, Australia