Tillers of the Soil
By Mark Clavier
Sacristy Press, 306 pages, $26
In this moving tour de force, Anglican priest Mark Clavier paints a vivid image of the tribulations faced by the inhabitants of a small country villa in the twilight days of Roman rule in Britain. Irish reavers, local bandits, and Roman apathy loom as ever-present threats to the inhabitants of the isolated community, even as they face the more mundane problems at home.
The narrative follows the lives of the Rusticelli, the noble family of the villa; Drichen, a priest and aspiring hermit; Ria, a handmaid; and Baglan, a shepherd. These varying characters are tied together by their shared connections to the land and the community that inhabits it. Clearly Clavier was inspired to write the book by a deep love of the beautiful landscapes of southern Wales, where he now serves. Loving attention is lavished upon mountains and ancient forests in a way that reinforces the themes of connection between the land and those who work it, a theme also treated in some of Clavier’s other work.
Nature is not the only solace offered to the fearful inhabitants of the villa in their distress. Many also take refuge in the divine, though not all in the same divinities. At the time of the stories’ setting, Roman Britain was only moderately Christian, and pagans often lived side by side with Christians. Clavier paints a compassionate view of what it might mean to live in Christian love of a pagan neighbor. The good accomplished by non-Christians, such as the works of Vergil, is given serious weight and attention.
This is not to say that the book is not deeply Christian. Clavier draws heavily from Augustine, a contemporary of many of the events portrayed. The great theologian’s words are often spoken through the mouth of Drichen, approaching the question of Christian life in a darkening world. He also explores the competing calls to contemplation and action through Drichen’s love of and desire to emulate St. Anthony.
In an increasingly uncertain and troubled modern day, it is only natural to look to the past for guidance and comfort. Clavier’s exploration of what it means to live a good life in a savage time is relevant now more than ever. While occasionally strangely paced or clunky, The Tillers of the Soil is a diamond in the rough that I would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone.
Philip Michael is a student at Saint Anselm’s Abbey School and a member of St. Francis Church in Potomac, Maryland.
