Review: The Relic Keeper by Heidi Eljarbo

Today, I'm delighted to welcome back author Heidi Eljarbo, who writes wonderful, intriguing, and heart-warming historical and dual-timeline fiction. I'm sharing my review of her latest release, The Relic Keeper. It's well worth checking out. Read on!

The Relic Keeper is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Find other exciting tour stops HERE! 

 

The Relic Keeper

Heidi Eljarbo

Review:

 

The Relic Keeper is a fairly short but very endearing story about a young boy being forced to steal valuables from churches, for his keeper to sell and profit from.

 

Young Angelo is entirely dependent on Tozzo, the man with whom he misspent his childhood. Apparently orphaned as a young child, he has no real memories of his life before Tozzo took him on – and taught him how to pick pockets and steal valuable artefacts and relics. When things get too hot, Tozzo drags the boy to yet another place in Italy, for them to continue their nasty trade.

 

But Angelo, now around 14 years old, begins to become his own person, and when he goes on a recce to the church in a village near Rome, which they have currently made their home for the time being, he knows what he's doing is wrong, but as he depends on Tozzo to survive, he sees no way out.

 

But when Tozzo disappears, the boy is left to himself, and cast out of the filthy room they rented. With nowhere to go, he returns to the church, to suss out what he could take to pay for food.

 

But there, the local priest, Padre Benedetto, surprises him with his kindness, giving him food, and a blanket when he falls asleep on a bench. Benedetto takes Angelo under his wing, and for the first time in his life, Angelo feels safe, though not worthy.

 

Then, two ruffians appear, keen on the treasure Tozzo has hidden – and only Angelo knows the hiding place. Will the temptation to go back to his old life prove too strong? Or will Angelo, with Benedetto's help, become a new person?

You should definitely read this story to find out!

 

 Angelo is a lost boy, full of self-doubt and self-loathing. He knows what he's doing is wrong, yet on his own, no one trusts him to be honest – except Padre Benedetto. The priest recognises Angelo's intelligence and conscience, and sets out to help the boy get onto the right path.

 

The Relic Keeper is a sweet story, with a dark background. The narrative is sweet and endearing, and there is no swearing or brutality. Yet, in its own way, it's a realistic description of events and behaviours. And there is a lovely twist at the end, which I won't reveal, but which is completing the plot perfectly.

 

Ms Eljarbo's heart-warming narrative brings to life a child's story of neglect and abuse, and turns it into a positive tale of learning, art, reading, and wonder – and of the kindness people should really show one another. The world could be a better place...

 

The Relic Keeper is a captivating, uplifting tale, warmly told, and with likeable characters, within the beautiful backdrop of Renaissance Italy. Highly recommended!

 

 

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Blurb:

Inspired by Gerrit van Honthorst’s masterpiece, The Adoration of the Child, and the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Italy, 1620.

Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo.

Angelo knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence. When he loses his master, his livelihood is shaken. Tozzo’s plunder is hidden in a safe place, but what will happen if someone comes after Angelo to get their hands on the stolen relics? More than that, he feels threatened by words he’s heard too many times; that he’ll always remain unforgiven and doomed.

One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about the hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them.

With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy—an artistic and audacious tale that crosses paths with art collector Vincenzo Giustiniani and the powerful Medici family.

Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events. The Relic Keeper is similar in tone to books by Geraldine Brooks, Tracy Chevalier, Deborah Swift, and Laura Morelli.

Buy Link: Universal Buy Link

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

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About the Author:

 

Heidi Eljarbo grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.

 

 

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.

Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are her family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

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