CROSS, SWORD AND ARROW

This novel is set in the 13th century and takes the form of a ""chronicle of Bertran De Born Jr., being a contemporary narrative of the Crusades of which he was a part, more especially the Crusade of the Children in the year 1212"". Mrs. Barr has gone to great pains to absorb the historical background of this story. She followed the route the characters in her novel took and has done a great deal of research on the Crusades, especially the Children's Crusade. As a result, she is able to recreate the atmosphere of that far-distant time and make her characters live. The superstition, barbarism and cruelty of the age are by no means minimized, but through the book there shines out the naive but powerful faith of those French children who set out to rescue the tomb of Christ from the Saracens with no weapon but the Cross. A well-told tale, by no means ""goody-goody"", which will be enjoyed by many Christians.