From the dj flap: "Bryher's historical novels have been acclaimed by the foremost critics. In this her latest magical evocation of the past, she takes the reader into sixth-century Britain, to Cornwall, the Scillys, Ireland, and Wales. Young Ruan, nephew of the Druid high priest, is destined and prepared for the priesthood. Turbulent, avid for adventure, and restless for fulfillment, he feels caged in the monotonous schooling of the Celtic priests, and longs for the high seas. How he breaks free from the fetters of loyalty to tradition and family, and sets out at last on the quest for those distant islands which form and re-form in the dreams of every man, is both the plot and theme of Ruan. Flawlessly, Bryher re-creates the mood of time and place, and more important still, a way of living and believing."