Tales of St Patrick

There are many legends about Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. In this volume of stories Eileen Dunlop has drawn mainly on his Confession, supported by information from other early Christian sources. Patrick began life as the privileged son of a Christian family living in Roman Britain. Following his capture and subsequent enslavement in Ireland, he felt his calling to convert the Irish people to Christianity. Dunlop presents Patrick as a likeable boy and man, not immune to worldly distraction, and dogged for much of his life by an unspecified sin committed in his boyhood. While these tales should find a ready audience, especially in schools, around St Patrick's Day, they also have appeal as stories of someone whose faith and strength of character helped him to do many things which he found inherently difficult. The book deserves a better cover.