StarbridgeSeries
This sweeping saga chronicles the tumultuous events of the twentieth century in England through the lens of one church. Each installment focuses on a different character, yet their lives intertwine, offering a multifaceted perspective on a changing society. Through these interconnected narratives, the series explores themes of faith, loss, and human resilience amidst turbulent times. It's a compelling journey through history seen through personal experiences.
Recommended Reading Order
- 1
- 2
Follows the career of Jon Darrow, an Anglican minister, as he copes with church politics and the demands of marriage.
- 3
Ultimate Prizes
- 480 pages
- 17 hours of reading
Reissue of 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.
- 4
In 1963, when traditional values are coming under attack, a young woman in her twenties, Venetia Flaxton, becomes disastrously involved with her best friend's father, the powerful, dynamic but ultimately mysterious Dean of Starbridge Cathedral. Yet, as a married man and a senior Churchman, Aysgarth has nothing to offer her but an admiration which spirals out of control into an obsessive love. As Aysgarth begins to take scandalous risks to further their friendship, pressures rise and the dangers multiply. Venetia finds herself trapped in a desperate web of love and lies from which it seems impossible to escape. Witty, compassionate and compelling, Scandalous Risks explores not only the reality of sin and the fantasy of sexual obsession, but the overpowering human need for redemption, love and lasting happiness.
- 5
Mystical Paths
- 512 pages
- 18 hours of reading
“No writing today can equal [Susan] 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 denouement will leave readers breathless.”—Publishers Weekly Nicholas Darrow is a strong-willed and independent-minded man, full of the energy and assurance of his age and his moment in time—he is twenty-five in 1968. A magnet for attention and attraction, Nicholas is already beset by a troubled past, and expert at ignoring the grip it has on his life. But as he follows his father into the Anglican priesthood, his fascination with his own psychic powers results near-tragedy. It will only be by facing the truth about his relationship with his father that Nicholas can find his way 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. “Intelligent, compelling, and fascinating.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer
- 6
Following "Glittering Images", "Glamorous Powers", "Ultimate Prizes", "Scandalous Risks", "Mystical Paths" and "Absolute Truths", this book concludes a series of novels set against the backdrop of the power and politics of the Church of England in the 20th century.
