Brian Fitz-Count: A Story of Wallingford Castle and Dorchester Abbey

A historical novel set around Wallingford Castle and Dorchester Abbey in the twelfth century follows the Norman baron Brian Fitz-Count and intertwined lives of locals as secrets, imprisonment, escapes, sanctuary, lepers, hermits, outlaws, pestilence, and a revelation about Osric's birth unfold. The narrative alternates castle and abbey scenes, detailing medieval institutions, harsh dungeons, monastic life, and the moral conflicts of violence, repentance, and charity. Episodes include an escape from Oxford Castle, a hermitage, the opening of prison houses, and journeys to the Holy Land, while the plot emphasizes irony of fate and the endurance of religious devotion amid social turmoil.