The Haven: Book 1

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Trian and Cormac begin their journey in awe of Artt, who has travelled far beyond Ireland to bear witness to God's dominion and Christ's sacrifice. Donoghue excels in creating not just a world but a worldview that is far removed from our own. ... a bold, thoughtful novel, whose austerity matches its setting.' - Financial Times But when the pragmatic Cormac ventures this opinion, he is sternly rebuked. “This place,” Artt declares, “was set aside for us when the Earth was made.” Accepting their lot, the monks clamber ashore. Their master may seem harsh and inscrutable but, for the time being, his authority is unquestionable. Though, by now, we have glimpsed enough of Artt’s nature to guess at what lies before them. A gripping yarn: a Christian Castaway 2000; a Lord God Almighty of the Flies. Slowly, skilfully Donoghue builds a sense of brooding intensity ... what elevates her book above a theological thriller is the way she links Artt’s arrogance with the contemporary plundering of the Earth’s resources.' - The Big Issue He swears the other two monks, a young man and an older one, to obedience and off they go in a tiny boat in search of their new home. They take few supplies because their boat is so small, and because Aart believes "God" will supply them with all they need.

The book focuses on fanaticism,obedience and faith. What makes someone truly a saint? Artt believes God will provide. As someone who believes God expects us to use the brains he gave us, I struggled with this blind faith. I also couldn’t help but wonder where Artt’s pride and belief in himself fit into this hardheadedness. The ending was predictable, despite one minor twist I didn’t see coming.He shares his dream, his vision of the three of them, himself, a young monk and an old one. Artt, Trian and Cormac. A trinity, if you will, of chosen men. Men chosen, not by him, but by God. Get settled in, take a good look around and rate the cleanliness of your holiday home on the My Haven Experience app* or via haven.com/experience The group of three becomes the first landing party on Skellig Michael off the coast of Southwest Ireland. Artt is much more concerned with setting up a chapel and copying scripture than he is with taking care of basic necessities, such as food, shelter, and fuel. He foolishly believes that God will provide everything. He also believes that future generations will forever bless the name of the mission's founder, holy Artt. Artt treats Trian and Cormac as his inferiors in all matters and punishes them if they question his authority. The two take their vow of obedience seriously, even when their survival is at risk. Donoghue wrings unlikely psychodrama from such everyday chores of monastic life as copying a manuscript ... rest assured that the devastating denouement amply repays the reader's patience' - Daily Mail This book kept me up half the night - I was unable to put it down, and read it in one spellbound gulp. It is everything a novel should be: compassionate, unpredictable, and questioning. Haven is Donoghue at her strange, unsettling best.' - Maggie O'Farrell

Wherever you live, PLEASE support your local indie bookstore by buying from them either directly or through an indie-friendly hub such as bookshop.org or hive.co.uk. i do think the story itself is very interesting. i love a good survival plot, so i was looking forward to reading about three monks settling an inhabitable island in the name of god. i just wish there had been a greater sense adventure when it came to their actual island experience.

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As a non-believer, I have always marveled at how some “holy” people twist the message of love into a message of disdain for the world and its many varied people they believe God created. To me, we create our personal heaven and hell and diminish ourselves by ignoring our true Garden of Eden – the earth we are fortunate enough to inhabit – through our willful destruction of the planet and its wildlife. Needless to say, this book resonated with me. Set largely on Skellig Michael, one of the Skellig islands off the southwestern coast of Ireland, this begins on the first fast-day following Easter in Cluain Mhic Nóis, a monastery in County Offaly on the River Shannon. A place where strangers visit to study with one of the teachers, or to take a step away from the demands of life, to restore their soul, if you will. Expect a slow burn of a story. Emma Donoghue has obviously done massive research and the novel is fascinating in its recreation of an ancient time and a foreboding destination. Depending solely on God’s will, the three monks exist on a day-to-day basis on a land that offers little in food, drink, and shelter and how they manage to get by is fascinating to learn. If you are a prisoner attending an educational course such as NVQ, Open University, A Level, etc., and would like help in purchasing specific course literature, we may be able to help.

Haven Hideaway holidays give our guests the chance to escape to the great British coast at a pace that suits them.​ Use your Haven accommodation as a base to enjoy the local area to its fullest - enjoy local walks and explore nearby towns, villages and attractions. A beautiful and timely novel about isolation, passion and the conflict between obedience and self-preservation. The island setting and the characters stayed with me long after I finished reading.’ - Sarah Moss When you get to your holiday home it will be sealed – break the seal and you will find your keys inside.How did it happen that they came to this place? Was there a different way the currents and breezes could have taken the boat that would have washed them up on another, gentler island, where spring and summer and autumn might have played out differently? Or have the three of them always carried this terrible tale inside themselves? A personal note: This novel was inspired by a boat trip around the Skelligs in 2016. My plans to return and land on Skellig Michael in 2020 were derailed by what the monks would no doubt have taken in their stride as the latest pestilence to plague humankind, so I’ve never been there, except in spirit and imagination - the one form of travel that can’t be forbidden. I recommend this book for those who want a “quieter” book that does deal in basics of human life: belonging, faith, society, brotherhood and what these can truly mean when three people are on their own, separated from the rest of society. Haven by Emma Donoghue was an irresistable and atomospheric novel set in the seventh century southwestern medieval Ireland off the coast of County Kerry. There two jagged islands are seen, the larger Skellig Michael with monks living there since 1044. And this a remarkable tale of three monks who first embark to the island led by a larger-than-life charasmatic leader and a scholar and a priest, Brother Artt. There is a lot of symbolism in this book first represented by the three monks, as in the the trinity. And such an integral part of this story is Ireland's history of early monastic settlements as evidenced by the beautiful Book of Kells housed in Trinity College in Dublin. Before you start your journey, use the My Haven app* or log in to haven.com/experience to view and save your personalised map to navigate to your holiday home on park.