《Bilihild: A Tale of the Irish Missionaries in Germany, A.D. 703》 - 免费有声读物

Bilihild is a short historical novel by Julie Sutter, a writer of Christian fiction, set in Thuringia in central Germany around the year 703. It belongs to the Victorian and Edwardian tradition of religious tales that brought the early history of the Church to life for family reading.

At the start of the story, Irish missionaries have built small Christian settlements in the region under the protection of a devout duke. When he dies, power passes to his son Hedan, who is strongly influenced by his mother Geila, a fierce adherent of the old pagan ways who resents the newcomers. The young duke falls in love with Bilihild, a Christian girl, and asks for her hand, and their marriage becomes the fragile guarantee of the Christians' safety, set against his wavering loyalties and his mother's open hostility. As the danger grows, her faith is put under severe strain.

The book is an earnest, gently paced story of courage and conviction, drawing on the real history of Irish and Anglo-Saxon missions to the Germanic peoples. It will suit readers of Christian historical fiction, those interested in the early medieval conversion of Europe, and families looking for a wholesome tale with a strong heroine.