Tillers of the Soil

Set in the final days of Roman Britain, this sweeping historical novel follows a family’s struggle to preserve their land, identity, and way of life as the empire collapses around them. For four generations, the Rusticelii have farmed their estate, weathering political shifts, invasions, and the slow erosion of Roman rule in the British countryside. Now, as the legions withdraw and raiders from across the sea descend upon the land, they must make impossible choices—clinging to the past or forging a new future in an uncertain world.

At the heart of the story is Gaius Rusticelius Armoricus, the villa’s steadfast master, who has devoted his life to maintaining the farm his ancestors built. While others abandon their estates for the safety of distant Roman cities or flee across the sea to Gaul, Armoricus refuses to surrender the land that defines his family’s legacy. His wife, Corotica, a woman of both British and Germanic heritage, understands that survival requires more than stubbornness—it demands adaptation, alliances, and, perhaps, a willingness to embrace change.

Their children face their own struggles. Aurelius, the eldest, has been educated in Corinium and longs to escape the isolation of rural life, dreaming of the sophistication and culture of the Roman world. Publius, the younger son, feels the pull of the land in his veins but also the stirrings of something deeper—an unspoken destiny tied to the wild places beyond the farm’s borders. Meanwhile, Rusticella, their spirited daughter, watches as the world she knows begins to crumble, unsure where she belongs in the shifting landscape of her family’s future.

Beyond the villa walls, those who serve the estate—shepherds, craftsmen, and farmhands—grapple with their own uncertainties. Ria, a young handmaid raised in the household, finds herself caught between duty to her adoptive family and the stirrings of forbidden love. Baglan, the villa’s shepherd, suffers a devastating loss that sets him on a path of vengeance, calling upon the old gods of the land even as Christianity spreads across Britain. And Drichan, an idealistic young priest, arrives with dreams of solitude and prayer, only to find himself entangled in the villa’s fate.

With a richly detailed setting, this novel vividly brings to life a world on the brink of transformation. The estate, surrounded by forests, rivers, and distant mountains, serves as both a sanctuary and a prison—a symbol of stability in a time of upheaval, yet also a reminder that nothing remains unchanged forever. The clash between Roman order and untamed wilderness, between faith and superstition, between tradition and the need to evolve, weaves throughout the lives of its characters.

Themes of stewardship, belonging, and resilience echo through the novel, exploring what it means to be tied to a place, to fight for one’s home, and to hold onto—or let go of—the past. While history tells us that Rome will fall, the fate of this family, their household, and their land remains uncertain.

For readers who love immersive historical fiction, richly drawn characters, and stories of endurance in the face of change, this novel offers a deeply moving and thought-provoking journey. It is a tale not just of survival, but of the timeless human desire to remain rooted, even when the ground beneath one’s feet is shifting.