A vision…An island in the sea. I saw myself there. As if I were a bird or an angel, looking down on the three of us.’ the setting lends itself vividly to this story of survival. Occurring during the 7th century on the steep, bare island of Skellig Michael (of Star Wars fame as Luke Skywalker's hideaway), I was entranced by Cormac's cleverness in creating unique ways to make-do, and I felt Trian's deep appreciation of nature; What a beautiful, intense, blazing, richly-woven yet spartan and unsparing book this is. I couldn’t put it down. Lyrical and then visceral, appearing at one moment tranquil and another so intense it’s like being bitten and clawed.' - Rachel Joyce

Trian is the youngest and has been at the monastery since he was thirteen. Always hungry and always clumsy, Trian is the first to volunteer. Cormac has been a convert for fifteen years since the death of his wife and children from the plague. He suffered with the illness but was spared. And Artt is the elusive stranger, scholar, priest who will become their Prior. A guest arrives at an Irish monastery. His name is Artt and he is known as a blessed man and scholar. While visiting, he has a dream that he leaves this place with two of the brothers, one young one old, and they row on the river out to the sea and on south until they find an island, the right island, to found their community. He is granted his wish to follow this dream, ask these two brothers to pledge obedience to him and receives needed supplies. Artt will be the Prior with Cormac and Trian as the brothers who pledge fealty. One could chose to read Haven at face value: the tale of three men guided and misguided by their faith, brought to their knees not by God, but by Mother Nature.But like any Emma Donoghue novel – and I’ve read the last six of them – the suspense and the drama ignite, because the author’s desire is not to just tell, but to delve deeply and explore the human psyche. The crisis comes when Trian’s secret is out, and Cormac must decide between obedience and his own moral conscious, deciding if he is Artt’s man, or Christ’s. Set largely on Skellig Michael, one of the Skellig islands off the southwestern coast of Ireland, this begins on the first fast-day following Easter in Cluain Mhic Nóis, a monastery in County Offaly on the River Shannon. A place where strangers visit to study with one of the teachers, or to take a step away from the demands of life, to restore their soul, if you will. All offers are subject to availability, apply to new bookings only and cannot be used with any other voucher, discount or offer (unless otherwise stated). Your Haven holiday includes accommodation, restaurants, takeaways and arcades, as well as a Play Pass which allows you entry to our entertainment venues and pools, as well as theability to book activities.

Artt finds himself wondering if perhaps tales will be told about him. Is it arrogance to think it? The legend of how the priest and scholar Artt set off, with just two humble companions, in a small boat. The extraordinary pair of islands he found in the western ocean; how he claimed the higher one for God, and founded a great retreat in the clouds. The glory of the books reproduced there, and then generations of the copies’ offspring. The ceaseless hum of prayer always rising from that little hive. I love a strong character-driven novel! As I followed Prior Artt and two fellow monks, old Cormac and young Trian on their quest to found a monastery on a remote island devoid of other people (but a whole lot of birds!), I could understand the monks' initial unquestioning obedience which eventually led to exasperation, anger, depression, fear, and finally, mutiny. Even Prior Artt's ultimate decisions, though frustrating, were believable to his character; Your favourite DVDs. (A DVD player is included in the following accommodation: Caravans: Silver, Gold, Signature. Lodges: Emerald, Diamond, Signature. Chalets: Comfort Plus. Apartments: Comfort with Veranda) this is the place. the higher up, the closer to heaven. on this islands peaks, our prayers will be halfway to gods ears already.’ Wherever you live, PLEASE support your local indie bookstore by buying from them either directly or through an indie-friendly hub such as bookshop.org or hive.co.uk.Haven Hideaway holidays give our guests the chance to escape to the great British coast at a pace that suits them.​ Use your Haven accommodation as a base to enjoy the local area to its fullest - enjoy local walks and explore nearby towns, villages and attractions. A tremendously real imagining of the experiences of the first three people to land on Skellig Michael in about AD 600 ... if the setting is centuries ago, the themes feel ultra-modern. ... her skilled character creation adds vibrancy. Artt the zealot, Cormac the sage and young outsider Trian make for a winning trinity.' - Irish Times Donoghue wrings unlikely psychodrama from such everyday chores of monastic life as copying a manuscript ... rest assured that the devastating denouement amply repays the reader's patience' - Daily Mail Speaking of the book, it is hard for me to rate. The writing is beautiful, and the descriptions are vivid and so well done. Everything takes place in a slow fashion. I am not a slow build/slow book fan but this one worked as I imagined their days full of toil, building, and transcribing must have felt. Plus, this is not an action book. It's a book about the men, their faith, their days, and their survival.