Is there more to folklore, even if the folklore isn’t from your own specific region?

For Merrily Watkins, the new Pastor-in-Charge at Ledwardine, it’s a old folklore tradition (from Derbyshire) that leads to the first death she encounters in the village. As Merrily and her daughter, Jane, settle in, they have to deal with a too large vicarage, plenty of local politics, and perhaps a dash of the supernatural.

The summary that I just gave may sound a bit trite, but it was the best way I could summarise The Wine of Angels without giving anything away. This is a long book, with plenty to sink your teeth into, that covers folklore, murder, history, and even witchcraft. For me, it was the mention of ‘The Folklore of Herefordshire’ in the opening chapters that immediately caught my eye and impressed me.

In terms of mystery, it’s a bit slow going. Sure, we start with a death right away, but then nothing but local politics happens for a long time. Merrily has, as the new Pastor-in-Charge, been put in the unenviable position of having to decide if she will allow the Church to be used as a place to stage a play about a former minister who was put to death for practicing witchcraft. It’s only in the last third of the book that we get revelation after revelation. Thinking about it, it’s almost a bit too many twists at the end compared to how things were going at the start, but while I was reading, I thought it made sense and was truly interested in finding out how things ended.

For me, what kept me reading was the hint of the supernatural (and the fact that the plot picked up in the last third, else I might have given up since the book was so long). The possibly supernatural happenings are a catalyst into Merrily’s state of belief – or lack of it. For a pastor, it doesn’t feel like Merrily actually believes in a God; one of her sermons refers to “Him” without actually saying the word “God” (or at least, so much that it feels like she refers to Someone Who Shall Not Be Named). Of course, that tracks in with a mentor who doesn’t actually believe in the supernatural. The whole state of affairs can be summed up in this quote from the book:

“in a world where huge numbers of people were begging for spiritual substance from exotic gurus and mediums and clairvoyants and healers, the Church was getting sidelined.”

Whether you find the resolution to all these supernatural phenomena satisfying will depend on your worldview. For my part, I thought Merrily, Jane, and the rest of the residents of Ledwardine acted in coherence with what I could discern of their worldview. I found Merrily’s wrestling with faith to be interesting, and though it’s not really resolved (I share Jane’s confusion at Merrily becoming a pastor), I did find it interesting and it’s something that I hope will be developed in later books.

Overall, this was an interesting book. I enjoyed the blend of folklore with mystery and the discussion of faith and the supernatural woven throughout the book. While the book is definitely long and the pacing can lag a bit in the middle, I think readers who appreciate really delving into village life, with all its dark sides and politics, will enjoy this one!