The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre

The Bishop's Man

Linden MacIntyre

There are little pools of warmth in Father Duncan's life: a boat ride on a sunny day after the cold Canadian winter, glimpses of his past life in warmer climates; a more innocent time. Warmth and innocence are soon forgotten. This is a story of loss, secrets of the past and a man who can no longer hide.

Extract
I knew from my experience the cunning of damaged people. There's a palpable uneasiness about him, I thought as I walked beside him to his car. And for a moment I considered stopping him. Hell let's have a drink. It's afternoon somewhere. Let's talk. And I'll tell you about Alfonso, who was the kind of priest we all should be. And about Jacinta and my own brush with human weakness. And about my campaign to purify our Holy Mother Church by burying your kind in what I hoped would be impotent obscurity. And, then, in return you can do what none before have done. Explain. The little car drove down the lane and turned north.
Parallels
  • Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
  • The Sense of Ending by Julian Barnes