Philip Lawler, one of America’s most respected Catholic writers and cultural critics, bursts onto the fiction scene with a riveting debut novel that plunges readers into the hidden battles of the Church in the 1980s. Lawler exposes beneath the surface of parish life and chancery politics a world of secrets, compromises, and spiritual warfare — where the faithful struggle to survive and a young priest discovers that he has a special mission — and powerful enemies. At the center is Fr. Andy Miller, freshly ordained and already under fire. Forced into sessions with a psychologist, Miller finds that his candid inner voice collides with the stark realities of an archdiocese in which corruption festers and power eclipses truth. Yet through humor, humility, and flashes of startling grace, he fights to shepherd his flock and live out a priesthood that may come at great personal cost. The story races from Boston’s parishes to the danger zones of war-torn El Salvador, where Miller’s quest thrusts him into peril and political intrigue. Shadowing his path is his brother Peter, a high-ranking official in the Reagan administration, whose own battles in Washington entwine with Andy’s in ways neither could predict. With every turn, the tension mounts — lives hang in the balance, faith is tested, and the line between betrayal and redemption blurs. More than a thriller, this is a profound spiritual journey. Lawler pulls readers into the struggle to discern spirits, to cling to God in the face of corruption, and to discover peace through surrender to His will. Along the way, the true beauty of the Church and the essence of the priestly vocation come alive. This is not just a novel. It is a heart-pounding, soul-stirring plunge into faith under fire. Once you enter Fr. Miller’s world, you won’t be able to put the book down. 275 pages. Paperback.
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