Crossed by Nicole Galland

This is the story of the Fourth Crusade told in fiction as the tale of a group of mis-matched tent-mates including a rescued Jewish widow, a German whore, a suicidal terrorist wannabe, two erstwhile knights and the Richardim, a grandfather/grandson who are relatively minor observers both named Richard. This whole crusade was a bungled attempt to get to Jerusalem in spite of the greed and ambitions of the leadership to control Venetian rival cities like Pera and Constantinople. Rife with sexual tension, political intrigue, and deceit, this book treats religiosity as a sham except for the clear dedication of the knight, Gregor. His faith is packaged in the adoration of relics (especially the skull of John the Baptist) and self mortification with prayer and fasting as well as a clear concern for his eternal soul vis a vis the fulfilment of his vows and the prospect of excommunication by the pope. For me, this book continues my exploration and commitment to provoke honest faith in myself first and then also in those with whom I connect. It deals with the issue of kingdom- is there an earthly Christendom which is won or lost through politics and war or is the Kingdom of God not consisting of meat and drink but, as the New Testament asserts, of "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost?" (That idea is lacking in the way Galland depicts the Fourth Crusade.) Two quotes remain what I will ponder from reading this book:
"The war was an overture to melancholic madness. Gregor believed he'd spend the rest of his days atoning for the sins he and the army had already committed, and the rest of eternity atoning for whatever the army might yet do. (Why he felt personally responsible for the sins of an entire military campaign is a spiritual tick of the faithful which I am completely unqualified to explain.)" p.480
and:
"Disillusion is to be embraced; it lightens the soul's load a great deal for illusions - especially the lofty ones that Gregor always clung to- can be such a heavy burden." p. 508

Nicole Galland, Crossed. c.2007. New York: Harper.