A vulnerable woman. A driven man. A remarkable book. Meg Foxe, haunted by her violent past and tortured by nightmares, finds comfort in her husband’s arms . . . when he’s home. Then one day, while he’s away, she stumbles upon a book. A New Testament. Its words comfort and soothe her like nothing else. Problem is, the book is banned and Pernell, her husband, has devoted himself to its annihilation. Beyond the Sacred Page is a thrilling espionage game of cat and mouse set in the turbulent world of sixteenth-century England where politics and religion are a matter of life and death.
It is Easter day and I am rejoicing in our Lord’s resurrection. I am also well into your book, Beyond the Sacred Page. It is excellent! — Dr. Bill Bright, Campus Crusade for Christ
From Publishers Weekly
The award-winning author of more than a dozen historical novels excels in this latest inspirational offering depicting the bloodshed and violence in 16th-century England over attempts to translate and distribute scripture in the English language to ordinary men and women. A dedicated Christian “heretic hunter,” Pernell Foxe has a near brush with death in his zeal to eradicate the spread of William Tyndale’s English New Testament. His attractive wife, Meg, befriends the doomed queen, Anne Boleyn, unhappily married to King Henry VIII. Meg finds herself drawn into subterfuge and marital deception when she comes across a forbidden copy of the English New Testament and discovers the power of its verses. Cavanaugh brings his historical story to life with rich details, descriptive settings and believable dialogue. His writing includes fresh and sometimes humorous turns of phrase (“To call the man a weasel would be discourteous to egg-sucking carnivores everywhere”). The lucid prose is coupled with an intricate plot offering surprising twists and turns. Characters are multifaceted, and the author admirably shows how sincere believers can be sincerely mistaken-which should give readers much to chew on. The faith content of the novel is beautifully presented and never succumbs to preachiness. General readers interested in the plight of “banned books,” as well as CBA market readers investigating the origins of the Bible, will find through this delightful book that faith-based historical fiction can be a pleasure to read.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
A Note to Readers
Originally intended to be four books, the series was discontinued after the first two were published. It was a disappointing publisher’s decision. I so much wanted to write the story behind the Geneva Bible and King James Version. Doubly so, since those who read the first two books wrote such wonderful letters of appreciation.Each of these novels is a stand-alone story. There are no recurring characters or storylines. You don’t have to read them in order.
