The Art of Standing Still (41 page)

IN THE DYING LIGHT, THE TWO WOMEN STOOD TOGETHER ON THE COLLAPSED
chapel wall. The three arches were silhouetted against the sky. The abbey ruins were desolate and barren, but the grass smelled fresh from the summer rain. The wind whipped up from the river and tore at their hair, ruffled their clothes and snatched their breath.

Ruth took Jemma's hand, and they stood in silence with their eyes closed.

A gust channelled through the arched windows, whistling and buffeting them and threatening to knock them off their feet, but they leant against it, solid and firm, and refused to let it displace them.

Author's Note

THE YORK MYSTERY PLAYS

Monksford is a fictional town in Kent. It is presumed, however, that many medieval towns would have held performances of Mystery Plays for Corpus Christi. I based
The Art of Standing Still
on the York cycle of plays, the most complete text still in existence. Here are my sources, if you are interested to know more about these beautiful, powerful, compelling dramas.

TEXTS OF THE YORK MYSTERY PLAYS

Richard Beadle and Pamela M. King,
York Mystery Plays:
A Selection in Modern Spelling
(Oxford Paperbacks, Oxford World's Classics, 1999).

An electronic version of the original text of the York plays at the University of Michigan:
http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/c/cme/cme-idx?type=header&idno=York

THE STORY OF THE MODERN MYSTERY PLAYS IN YORK

http://www.yorkmysteryplays.org/index_highres.htm

The revived waggon plays, performed in July 2006, and information about the York guilds:
http://www.yorkstories.fsnet.co.uk/york-mystery-plays/index.htm

An open-air play on the Life of Christ, performed on a farm near Guildford, Surrey:
http://www.wintershall-estate.com/

Theodora's Diary

Faith, Hope and Chocolate

Penny Culliford

Saturday 8th May. Emergency!

It is 11:30 p.m. and I am suffering from an incredibly
intense chocolate craving that will
not leave me in spite of prayer, distraction
activities and half a loaf of bread and butter.
Got out of bed and searched the flat. No luck. Not even a bourbon
biscuit. Not even a cream egg left from Easter. All the shops
are closed so no nipping out to replenish supplies. Nothing else for
it. I'm reduced to the chocoholic's equivalent of meths – cooking
chocolate.

It's been one of those days for Theodora. Her mother has become the Greek equivalent of Delia Smith, her boyfriend would rather watch 22 men kick a ball around a field than go shopping with her, and chintzy Charity Hubble wants to pray for her. And of course, the crowning insult is her utter lack of chocolate. Join in her daily life with all of its challenges and joys, tears and laughter.

“Theodora's Diary is a hilarious and realistic peek into the life of a sprightly Christian sister living ‘across the pond.' I found myself laughing out loud and thinking, ‘Yes, life is just like this!' Penny Culliford is a welcome new voice in inspirational fiction.”

–ANGELAHUNTAUTHOROF
THEDEBT

Softcover: 0007110014

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

Theodora's Wedding

Faith, Love, and Chocolate

Penny Culliford

I've actually done it! I've kept up my diary
for over a year.

I may not have grown very much spiritually,
nor have I been hailed as the next
British supermodel, but I have gained a fiancé,
even if he is football mad. And to cap
it all, I weigh half a stone less than I did this time last year.

Welcome back to Theodora's world. Now a bit older but not much wiser, thirty-something Theodora Llewellyn begins her second year as a diarist. And as usual, the results are endearing, hilarious and delightfully human.

Joy, bliss, ecstasy! Have just tried my holiday clothes on and they are actually too big! What a fabulous excuse to go and buy some new ones. Unfortunately, bank account doesn't agree. Saving to get married is such a nuisance.

In her search for life, love and a plentiful supply of chocolate, Theodora discovers that the course of true love never runs smoothly, especially when a voice from the past precipitates a crisis. But fear not – Theodora's humor and wit are up to the challenge. In the end, just one question remains unanswered: Exactly how much vitamin C is there in a chocolate orange?

Softcover: 0310250390

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

Theodora's Baby

Penny Culliford