Monk's Orchard

Monk's Orchard is a story of survival, of retribution and of revenge. It is also a story of faith in which men and women of strong spiritual conviction and beliefs find themselves caught up in a time of extreme religious intolerance. The harsh reality of living and surviving in 16th and 17th century Protestant Reformation England and Europe comes to light in Monk's Orchard where being on the right or wrong side of the religious debate often meant the difference between life and death itself. This becomes evident by the experiences of the Stillwell family as they live through the political turmoil and social upheaval caused by the religious fanaticism of the Reformation period. Monk's Orchard introduces the reader to various historical personalities and events as they occur and as seen through the eyes of the multi-generational Stillwell men and women during these turbulent years. Through them the challenges of John Calvin and the genesis of his protestant ministry in Geneva Switzerland come to light. The Spanish Armada, the Puritan exile, the plight of English kings and queens of this period, and rebellion and civil war are also predominant elements in this account of spiritual and societal awakening. Yet, through all of the chaos of the times, the Stillwell family estate of Monk's Orchard remains a constant thread; a thread that weaves itself in and out of the fiber of this God-fearing family in a world that has seemingly gone completely out of control.