The scenes in the trenches-beneath the ground like cadavers'-are horrifying.

When we meet Tristan Sadler for the first. Thoughtful and complex, this tale is sure to leave a strong impression on its readers. It’s a powerful discussion on the fine line between courage and cowardice, and how blurred it can get during war. And Odran witnesses first hand the seismic shift that happens in Ireland - where priests once considered trustworthy role models are suddenly demonized. Piling questions atop half-truths, John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) has crafted a taut and tragic tale of love and war, with a kick-in-the-gut ending. The Absolutist is a story of love, war, bravery, shame, and learning to live with your past mistakes. That is until the Catholic Church assigns him to work as a parish priest, serving a church formerly served by his friend, Tom.Īs stories of sexual abuse begin to surface, Boyne looks at how these stories were handled by within the church and how it was that priests managed to continue this criminal behavior, with the overt knowledge and support of the church hierarchy. A novel set in the trenches of World War I, one of several by Irish author Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, 2006, etc.) staged amid the 20th centurys worst moments.As the story opens, Tristan Sadler, who has just turned 21, is in the countryside north of London, looking to deliver a packet of letters from a wartime friend, Will Bancroft, to Wills sister. There, he meets his roommate Tom, and begins a friendship that will last for 40 years.ĭuring his years of religious service, Odran works briefly at the Vatican before spending decades happily serving at a Catholic boys school. JOHN BOYNE is the author of 10 novels for adults, 5 for younger readers and a collection of short stories.

A dutiful, faithful, and patient Dublin boy – Odran heads off to seminary in the 1970s, a time when priests were universally respected in Ireland. score: 382, and 4 people voted John Boyne (Goodreads Author) score: The Absolutist: A Novel by the Author of The Hearts Invisible Furies. Odran Yates first learns of his “calling” to the priesthood when, after a family tragedy, his newly-devout mother tells him he is destined to be a priest.

The absolutist lib e john boyne