Kirkus Reviews has named William Peak’s debut novel, “The Oblate’s Confession,” to its Best Indie Books of 2015 list – and more particularly, as one of the best Indie Historical Novels of 2015. Peak said of this national recognition, “Needless to say, I am pleased. I wanted to try, in my storytelling, to bring an entirely different time and place back to life. Trust me, the so-called “Dark Ages” weren’t entirely dark; we know a great deal about them. Much of that known history informs—and I hope enriches—my story. That all my work, all my research, has now been recognized and honored … well, it is gratifying to say the least.”
“Kirkus Reviews” is a trade publication used by book stores, libraries, and the like to make their annual purchasing decisions.
These are the most recent honors “The Oblate’s Confession” has received. In April, the book took silver in the “Best New Voice: Fiction” category of the Benjamin Franklin Awards, presented by the Independent Book Publishers Association. In May, the novel won the National Indie Excellence Award for “Religion: Fiction.” And in July, the Catholic Press Association awarded it second place in their “Catholic Novel” category and third in the “First Time Author of a Book” category (“The Oblate’s Confession” was the only work of fiction to be so recognized).
Set in 7th century Northumbria, “The Oblate’s Confession” recounts the struggles both practical and spiritual of a child donated to a remote monastery by his father, an Anglo-Saxon warrior chief. The book was published by Secant Publishers of Salisbury, a small press devoted to recognizing and enriching the literary heritage of the Eastern Shore.
“The Oblate’s Confession” is available both in hard and soft cover and as an eBook. It can be purchased in area book stores and online from Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, and SeattleBookCompany.com, among others.
William Peak is communications manager of the Talbot County Free Library. His library column is published on the first Sunday of each month in The Star Democrat. The board of the Talbot County Free Library has just brought out a selection of his columns in book form. All proceeds from the sale of Peak’s “Adventures in Shelving” (available for purchase in area bookstores and at the library, and online from Amazon) benefit the library.
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Paula Vlahovich says
Another well-deserved honor for this beautiful work of literature.