Nicholas Darrow is a strong-willed and independent young man who has grown up in the shadow of the Church of England and the loving but watchful eye of his father, an Anglican priest. And like his father, he has both a gift and a burden in the form of psychic abilities. Although his father warns him to nurture his special powers with care, Nicholas can see no harm in the occasional dazzling "psychic flourish" ... until one results in a friend's attempted suicide.
Now, staggering under the weight of remorse, horrified by the dangerous edge of his powers, watching the paths his life has followed converge in "crisis, chaos, and the Devil on the loose," Nicholas moves toward the brink of emotional collapse. When a terrifying vision suggests to him that he might be (literally) possessed, he must begin, at last, to face the truth of his past—and, in particular, of his relationship with his father—to find the one path that may lead him out of the seemingly impenetrable darkness that engulfs him.
Told with all the drama, intelligence, and emotional depth we have come to expect from Susan Howatch, Mystical Paths is a breathtaking novel about the powerful, often painful, but finally indestructible ties between parent and child. And like its four highly praised predecessors in the Church of England series, it is a novel that celebrates the redeeming power of self-knowledge and faith.
"No 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... the denoument will leave readers breathless." —Publishers Weekly |
