Description

"So rich and vital it leaves you breathless." — Chicago Tribune

From the writer of Mortal Friends and Family Trade, a sweeping tale of struggling with God, country, and the religious ignition of the 60s' anti-war movement in this thrilling novel of faith, truth, and honor.

Michael Maguire, a Korean War vet, enters the priesthood in an attempt to do some good in the world, after suffering in a POW camp for more than 2 years. But once the war in Vietnam breaks out, his clashes with the hierarchically-minded members of the church—which is evolving into a body with political ambitions of its own—sending him into rebellion not only against the diocese but the law. It's a sweeping tale not only of the divisions plaguing American Christianity - especially Catholicism - but of the difficulty of parsing, when pulled in so many directions, right and wrong.

About the Author

James Carroll was raised in Washington, D.C., and ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1969. He served as a chaplain at Boston University from 1969 to 1974, then left the priesthood to become a writer. A distinguished scholar-
in-residence at Suffolk University, he is a columnist for the Boston Globe and a
regular contributor to the Daily Beast.

His critically admired books include Practicing Catholic, the National Book Award–winning An American Requiem, House of War, which won the first PEN/Galbraith Award, and the New York Times bestseller Constantine’s Sword, now an acclaimed documentary.

Praise For…

"Probing psychological detail and wide-screen narrative momentum."
— The Washington Post

"So rich and vital it leaves you breathless." — The Chicago Tribune