Imagine stepping into a world where madness reigns supreme in 1474 southern Europe. Timothy X Atack's latest novel, 'Father Alberto and the Flying Girl', whisks you away to this medieval hotbed of chaos, where one man's quest for compassion sparks a maelstrom of emotions. Father Alberto, a newly appointed parish priest with a troubled past as a manuscript illuminator, is thrust into the midst of a village torn apart by mental affliction.
A motley crew of misfits clamour for his attention: Pieter Mastiff, a rage-filled carpenter; Selina, who can't resist shedding her clothes at every turn; Carin Marina, a former princess with secrets galore; Malike Dene, whose body is etched with the celestial map of the universe; and Zanzibar, a horse with a bloodthirsty reputation. They're all under Alberto's care in the convent of Saint Particular, where those deemed mad are locked away for most of the year.
The annual Feast of the Holy Fool is the highlight of the narrative, a time when the mentally afflicted are given licence to roam free. But it's also when tensions come to a head as Alberto's unconventional methods clash with the rigid institution he's working within. His 'Christian study of madness' ruffles the feathers of Sister Lorenza and the stern Abbess, who sees his compassion as nothing short of heresy.
Atack deftly weaves together elements of slapstick comedy and high-stakes drama to create a narrative that asks uncomfortable questions about what it means to be sane. Through Alberto's eyes, we see the mentally afflicted not just as patients but as people, deserving of kindness and understanding in a world that often shuns them.
One of the novel's most intriguing devices is its use of 'instructions for a book as yet unbound', which tells Alberto's story from a decade in the future. It adds an extra layer of depth to the narrative, punctuated by witty one-liners and vivid descriptions that bring the world to life. Atack's central thesis – that madness forces us to confront our own reality – is both thought-provoking and deeply unsettling.