Book Review: The Hardest Thing to Do by Penelope Wilcock

The Hardest Thing to Do by Penelope Wilcock

My rating: 

About the book (from Amazon):


This latest in Wilcock’s The Hawk and the Dove series takes readers into the world of a fourteenth-century monastery struggling to forgive an old enemy seeking refuge.


The first of three sequels to the celebrated The Hawk and the Dove trilogy takes place one year after the end of the third book, in the early fourteenth century. A peaceful monastery is enjoying its new abbot, who is taking the place of Father Peregrine, when an old enemy arrives seeking refuge. Reluctantly taking in Prior William, the upended community must address old fears and bitterness while warily seeking reconciliation. But can they really trust Prior William?

In her fourth book in the series, Penelope Wilcock wrestles with the difficulties of forgiveness and the cautions of building trust. Taking the form of journal entries, her story will delight the imaginations of readers captivated by a time and place far distant from our current world. Her timeless themes, however, will challenge our prejudices today as we, along with her characters, are forced to ask ourselves, “What is the hardest thing to do?”

My Thoughts:

'The Hardest Thing To Do' is the first book that I've read by Penelope Wilcock and the fourth book in 'The Hawk and the Dove' series.

I personally had a lot of problems with this book. There wasn't much that I liked; however, there was a lot that I didn't. One of the things was how many of the characters used God's name in ways that I found irreverent. There are other things as well, but it's mostly just what characters said.

The story itself was okay - occasionally I found it interesting, but I didn't have any trouble setting it down for a while.

I'm sure there are other people who would probably enjoy 'The Hardest Thing To Do' more than I did - but for me personally, it's not a book I plan on reading again or one that I would recommend for the reasons stated above.

1.5 stars

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher for my review. I was not required to give a positive review - only my honest opinion.*

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