Alex's Historical Fiction

Memorable endings

Susan, on her blog has listed her ten favourite endings to books. I contributed the last few lines from Rosemary Sutcliff's Sword at Sunset, but another one has come to mind:

One flash of sweet memory as the darkness swoops. Hild's young face, walking into St Peter's in York, where I set her free for baptism. Joy shining in her eyes.

I have done this, if nothing else. I gave Hild to Christ, and all Northumbria after.

Black pain.

Pray for my soul, Hild. Hold fast to Northumbria.

Carla will know what that's from :-) For those who don't: Fay Sampson, Flight of the Sparrow. It's one of my favourites because it's entirely apt for Edwin's character, it's about Northumbria, but also because it shows what a novelist can do. Sampson takes Edwin up to the moment of his death. None of this often too self-aware 'I'm writin' me memoirs' business. Love it.

posted by Alex Bordessa @ Thursday, January 25, 2007