Italy, 1620.
Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo.
Angelo knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence. When he loses his master, his livelihood is shaken. Tozzo’s plunder is hidden in a safe place, but what will happen if someone comes after Angelo to get their hands on the stolen relics? More than that, he feels threatened by words he’s heard too many times; that he’ll always remain unforgiven and doomed.
One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about the hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them.
With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy—an artistic and audacious tale that crosses paths with art collector Vincenzo Giustiniani and the powerful Medici family.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Relic Keeper — A Surprisingly Lovely Read From an Author New to Me
I’ll admit it straight away: I’d never picked up a Heidi Eljarbo book before this one. I went in fairly blind, hoping for something engaging, and ended up completely absorbed. The Relic Keeper hooked me far quicker than I expected, blending history, heart, and a good dose of emotional pull.
The story follows Angelo, a young orphan who’s had more than his fair share of rough luck. Under Tozzo’s control—a thoroughly unpleasant thief who uses the boy for his own gain—Angelo’s world is bleak and crooked. And yet, he’s never portrayed as anything other than a kid who just wants a chance at something better. It’s impossible not to root for him.
Enter Padre Benedetto, who basically becomes the unexpected hero of the story. He’s exactly the sort of character you want to shake Angelo and say, “Stick with him!”—kind, reassuring, and the first person to actually believe the lad is worth something. There is a scene with some candlesticks which made me think of Les Misérables, where Padre Benedetto tells Angelo they are not cleaning them today! His influence is gentle but powerful, and it gives the whole book a hopeful heartbeat.
The highlight, though, is two-fold, the first is Angelo’s emotional reaction listening to the church choir, and the second when he sees Gerrit van Honthorst’s Adoration of the Christ Child. It’s a genuinely touching moment that shows how art can reach even the most guarded soul.
The Relic Keeper earns its five stars for being heartfelt without being soppy, historical without being dry, and moving without trying too hard. For a first read from this author, it was an absolute delight—and I’ll definitely be reading more books by Ms Eljarbo.
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