A Private Man
Published by: Picador
A stunning story of devotion and sacrifice, and of the consequences of our actions that ripple throughout generations.
Rome, 1953. David is young, handsome, charismatic and sworn to celibacy. He is freshly ordained, and about to return to England to begin life as a priest. Devotion to God is all he’s ever known.
In London, Margaret is entangled in an impossible love affair. Committed to living on her own terms without sacrificing her faith, she becomes drawn to a women’s movement challenging the archaic rules of the Church.
When their lives are thrown together at a Catholic college in a quiet village, an undeniable connection forms between them.
Read an extract from the book here.
Our judges said:
A Private Man is about people who, in their quiet committed way, decide to make a difference. When two human beings are forced to choose between personal integrity and church-led morality, the decisions they make reverberate through their community and down the generations. It may feel like the fight for safe contraception and the right to choose has been won, but in many countries it hasn’t. And even where it has, it could slip away. This is a story to treasure and a book to remember."
