This project began in the composition of the song “Anthracyda”. That led to individual stories such as “The Shepherd’s Tale”, “Hannah’s Tale” and “The Vicar’s Tale” a la Canterbury Tales. My subconscious then decided to add characters and wake me up in the middle of the night with them demanding their own stories or interactions with other characters.

My sister Patty appointed herself typo editor and my sister Erin decided to join in the fun. My wife Shirley and daughter Colleen followed. At some point, Erin suggested we get an illustrator to do some illustrations and suddenly it changed from just a family project to something more real and serious.

No AI has been used at any time in this project, either in the writing or the historical research. All mistakes are my own.

To state the obvious, this book is about people’s reaction to something that is an indisputable “other”.

Anthracyda is an outside context problem (some risk that is beyond imagination) to the Vicar and Mathilda Potter because it threatens their biblical world view. For the Vicar, it also threatens his religious and secular power position.

For the rest of the villagers, Anthracyda is merely an “other”. Unlike many “others” in our own world, you can’t threaten, abuse, marginalize or subjugate Anthracyda. It is too powerful in its own territory. At the same time, since it is restricted to the hills, Anthracyda can be ignored in the villages’ daily life without harm for either party.

• Copyright page, acknowledgement pages, about author page, author notes page.
• Read the Character Growth section below and fill out the analysis (and possibly the text).

The story has two main conflicts, both cultural:

• Kindness v authority/power. Clarice, Fiona and Sussana fight their culture. The growth of kindness is something that can only be gradual, over decades, so an magical event would be too abrupt a resolution. Anthracyda does have patience. The Epilogues imply that Fiona, Clarice and Sussana’s commitment to “more hugs, fewer beating” did take root in the village over time.
• Real openness to differences v religious dogmatism v pragmatism. The vicar’s removal gives Mathilda the space to be the religious defender and battle ground against the reality of Anthracyda. In a sense, Mathilda fights herself. The non-resolution of that battle allows non-dogmatic religious readers to still accept the possibility of “good” others not mentioned in the Christian bible.

Technically there is a 3rd conflict which is resolved early in the power struggle between the vicar and the unseen village council (the 5 landowners, only 3 of whom are actually mentioned). The vicar oversteps and fails, giving the council the opening to win. This is not intended as a commentary on capitalism v religion.

• Why was Mathilda the one to suggest meeting the neighbour? Why not Marion? Anthracyda doesn’t use the word “neighbour” until the second episode with the Vicar.
• Susana has the most character growth.
• How do Fiona and Clarice change? Fiona and Clarice were already being brought up by parents exposed to Anthracyda.
  • Fiona is strong willed and enjoys watching Anthracyda trying to expand Mathilda’s mind. She also is the only character who seems to focused more on understanding Anthracyda and establishing a actual friendship.
  • Clarice is the teen most focused on raising children. Should there be a discussion between Hannah and Clarice after Hannah meets Anthracyda (in the sense of needing an earlier intro of Clarice) or is the first well scene in 1642 enough?
• Mathilda has the most growth potential that remains mostly unresolved. See unsent letter to her father.
• Do any of the other characters grow?

• Did Andrew Dericote’s tithe and rent avoidance planning bear fruit? For purposes of the events in 1643, it was the planning that is important rather than the actual outcome. The Church of England’s discovery in 1996 in the second Epilogue that it still owned a church in Andra’s Hill implies that events did turn out as Andrew hoped.
• Yes, I have played a bit fast and loose with the geography of Cumbria and the English game/hunting laws.
• Yes, I am using English spelling. The story takes place in England. No, I’m not going to rewrite it into the language actually used in 1643.