A Journey of Innocents
by Steven M. Janasik		 The Story of the French Children's Crusade . . .
Lucidly written and well researched, A Journey of Innocents is a marvelously spellbinding novel about a thirteenth century event which was so tragic and calamitous that it is difficult to believe that it actually happened.  It is the story of an army of children whose faith in God was so strong and un-yielding that they were willing to sacrifice all, even their life,  in order to accomplish what they had been told with such fervor was God's will —the Christian domination of the land of Christ.

Over 70,000 German and French children participated in the extraordinary medieval event known as the Children's Crusade. This novel evolves around the French Crusade which by itself involved nearly 30,000 children. The average age of the children was 12, many were as young as 5 or 6, most were boys. The leader of the French Crusade was 12.  The Pied Piper of Hamilin is an outgrowth of the German crusade.

The story portrays the children with their innocence, their vitality and zest for life, their deep faith in God, and their dreams of chivalry. Indeed, it portrays how these children were so very much like the children of today. More than three quarters of  the children lost their life during their holy quest. Many of the survivors were enslaved by the Saracens and were made to serve their masters in the brothels of North Africa and Palestine. Thousands of children died quickly after their enslavement as they were forced to toil in the fields or mines of their captors. As the story unfolds, it revolves around several fictional characters and follows them on their incredible odyssey, giving a day by day chronology as best as can be determined, with 13 detailed maps.

 

janasikphoto.jpg (14560 bytes)Steve Janasik is a writer who lives in Park Falls, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin, where he majored in Education, and minored in history. For the past 18 years he has been a freelance writer, working for various and varied publications.

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Hardcover copy (338 pp) with full color dust jacket is $25.95 plus $3.25 shipping and handling. Paperback is $16.95, same shipping costs. Autographed if desired.

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Steven M. Janasik
A Journey of Innocents
734 3rd Ave. N.
Park Falls, WI 54552

If you wish to order by credit card, you can order A Journey of Innocents from CAL. Provide your name, shipping address, credit card type, number, and expiration date. CAL charges an additional $5.50 for autographed copies. Order via e-mail or call CAL at (207) 354-0998 . Mail a check/money order to Century Press, P.O. Box 298, Thomaston, Maine 04861 (proud publisher of this memorable book). Your order will be processed the day it is received.

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