Uncommon Vows by Mary Jo Putney ****
A Compelling, Emotional, Spiritual, and Redeeming Love Story
Mary Jo Putney has become, over the years, one of my favorite authors. She writes with eloquence and passion, making characters that draw you into their lives and make you feel privileged to be there. The characters in this book are no exception.
Adrian de Lancey is the youngest son of the Baron of Warfield, who was slaughtered, along with all of Adrian's family (save one half-brother) and every servant of the keep, on Christmas Day by the bandit Guy of Burgoigne. Adrian was spared because he was at the monestary preparing to become a monk. At just 15 years old, he was knighted and faced with the near-impossible task of rebuilding his patrimony and avenging his family.
Lady Meriel de Vere is the youngest child of a well-born but not noble family. She was within days of taking the veil, when a change of heart took her away from the priory to live with her brother Sir Alan. She served as her brother's lady-of-the-house until the day came when she was out hawking. She received an injury when her horse ran off, and came face to face with the new Earl, Adrian.
It was a time of unrest in England. The rightful heir to the throne was in some dispute, with Stephen and Matilda (nephew and cousin, respectively, to the prior king) battling for the succession. In an effort to have the battles fought for them, rival earls were appointed; in this case, Adrian by the Empress Matilda, and his blood-enemy Guy by King Stephen. Meriel knew only that one of the Earls was a wicked and dangerous man, but not which. So upon meeting Adrian, she was scared for the people of her home, especially with her brother away.
Adrian is overcome with... some... emotion upon meeting Meriel. He couldn't define it, and demanded her held and brought to Warfield Castle for interrogation. Her game-bag and falcon gave him grounds to claim that she was poaching. While scared, Meriel's largest concern was for the people in her manor, and protecting them at all costs.
Adrian wanted Meriel to be his mistriss. Despite outright refusal, escape attempts, and swearing that she will not change her mind, Adrian is unable to let Meriel go. Her presence rouses his desire, but her refusal rouses his anger. He flees her after nearly losing control. Upon his return, Meriel refuses his offer of marriage by crashing through the window into the Severn river below.
This is when the story becomes fascinating. Both Adrian and Meriel are very religious people, and prayer is a large part of their lives. After rescuing Meriel from the river, when it appeared that she would not survive, Adrian prayed for the chance to atone, prayed that Meriel's life be spared. And as if a sign from God himself, so it was.
Meriel, however, awoke with no memory. Her cynicism and fear were stripped away, and she was able to view Adrian with clear and innocent eyes. Leaving Adrian to be able to love her, openly and honestly.
Guy of Burgoigne plays a large part in the story, as the antagonist, the brutal villain who is determined to rid the land of his rival earl at any costs. The details of his plans, of his vile actions throughout the story are really secondary to the underlying themes of love, redemption, forgiveness and the divine.
This story has several elements that I normally find extremely distasteful: attempted rape, kidnapping, cliched plot devices, caricaturized villains... BUT, it is the spiritual nature of this book that makes up for those lapses, and, in fact, uses them to demonstrate the nature of man's relationship with God. I do not think the miracles involved, the attempts at atonement, the redemption, could have been illustrated without the amnesia, for example. It allowed for Adrian to be "punished" in a way that redemption could be earned and forgiveness granted.
There is, of course, more to this plot, but I believe I've set up the important things to explain why this book worked, and what was so unforgettable about it. Adrian was a complex, fallable, and tormented hero. He was burdened with responsibilities that weighed on him from a very young age, but also with a conscience that riddled him with guilt because the way that he lived, in "man's" world, was pushing him further and further from his relationship with God. He had lost the ability to pray. Into his life comes Meriel, a beautiful, honest, un-complicated woman, of good nature and character, and he sees her as the guiding light in the misery of his own life.
Over the course of the story, love is found, love is lost, and Adrian's inarticulate longing morphs into a love that is sweet and tender. Meriel's love shines bright until she recovers her memory, but cannot recall the time in between. Why was this necessary? Why the "cliche" of amnesia with the unbelievable recovery? This passage sums it up:
"Perhaps God himself had sent that lighting bolt from heaven. Adrian tried to dismiss the bizarre thought. It was merely an accident, a result of being in the wrong place -- but in his heart he did not believe it. This, finally, was his punishment. He had known that repentance and a vow to atone were not enough to redeem his crimes against Meriel, and the hard self mastery needed to resist her innocent sensuality after the accident had seemed like God's justice. Living with the guilty knowledge of what he had done to her and the fear that she would remember the past were also punishments. But this was infinitely worse: to have known Meriel's love for a few brief weeks, then to lose it and have only her hatred. A white-hot dagger in his heart would have been less cruel."
Without the "miracle" of her recovery, the "miracle" of her amnesia allowing her to love him, and without the unlikely outcome of her memory returning but barring him from her love, there would be no true punishment, and thus no chance for redemption.
At its heart, what this story is is the illustration of love, from confusion to understanding; the redemption and forgivness of sin both by the wronged and the hero's vengeful God; the circuitous path to achieve happiness.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? First of all, I do NOT like rape scenes in romance novels, even if they ARE incomplete. Also, Meriel's behavior seemed somewhat naive to me in many ways (even prior to her memory loss). Adrian's inability to reach the conclusion to offer marriage seemed unlikely and a bit of a stretch. Meriel's inability to lie, and then her lack of thought for the lies that may have helped... Well, it seemed more farfetched than any amnesia plot-line.
Overall, I'd rate this book around 4 1/2 stars. You'd be hard pressed to read a fiction/romance novel that so accurately captures the feelings of spirituality and grace. It's an uplifting story in many ways in that it also gives hope that love is forgiving and you will be blessed for seeking forgiveness.
In conclusion, one final thought is that I, too, would have loved to see a sequel with Richard (Adrian's half-brother), perhaps with Cicely of Chastain (Guy's wife) as the heroine. They were fantastic characters and deserving of their own tale. Meriel's brother, Alan, would make a good hero, as well. Othewise, I've come away from this book both thoughtful and pleased, which is high praise indeed.
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