Book description
The author's most famous and well-loved work, the Starbridge series,
six self-contained yet interconnected novels that explore the history of
the Church of England through the 20th century.
1968, with the swinging sixties sliding into decadence, finds Nicholas
Darrow wrestling with overwhelming personal problems: How can he bring
himself to marry his fiancée, Rosalind, when he is unable to avoid
promiscuity? How can he become a priest when he finds it so difficult to
live as one? And how can he break his dangerous dependence on his father
Jon, whose psychic gifts he shares?
It is at this crucial moment in his life that Nick becomes involved in
the mystery surrounding his friend, Christian Aysgarth. Gradually, he
realises that discovering the truth about this enigmatic and complex man
will unlock the answers to his own baffling problems. However, his
journey through darkness into the light reverses all the old certainties
and, in his experiments with the psychic powers, Nick risks even his own
life and sanity. 'One of the most original novelists writing today' Cosmopolitan
'She is writing for anyone who can recognise that mysterious gift of
the true storyteller' Daily Telegraph
'Arguably no one writing today can equal Howatch's ability to write
compelling novels that combine theology and psychology in a complex,
fast-moving plot offering beautifully delineated characters and the
suspense of a mystery thriller' Publishers Weekly
'A fascinating, mind-bending exposition… Howatch wins out' Sunday Times'
'Taking on the style of a psychological thriller…Mystical Paths covers
in a profound and theologically thoughtful way the powers of light and
powers of darkness…Her success should not go unrewarded' Catholic Herald
'Howatch writes thrillers of the heart and mind …everything in a
Howatch novel cuts close to the bone and is of vital concern' New Woman
Susan Howatch was born in Surrey in England. After taking a degree in
law at King's College, London, she emigrated to America where she
married, had a daughter, and embarked on her career as a writer. In 1976
she separated from her husband, left America and lived in the Republic
of Ireland for four years before returning to England. While living in a
flat overlooking Salisbury Cathedral and "trying to hold my divided
self together", she found herself inspired by the beauty of the
cathedral and became a convert. She wondered if she should continue
producing romantic novels. Instead, she wrote the series of six
Starbridge novels about the Church of England in the 20th century, all
of which reflect her own spiritual crises.
