Fall From Grace

The Story

A controversial and provocative novel about a prominent Chicago family and the winds of scandal and betrayal that threaten to bring it down. With more than 15 million books in print, Andrew M. Greeley is known as a writer who can reach out to readers with superb stories that uncover the hidden passions in men and women, stories that reveal the essential nature of love, risks, and pursuits. In Fall from Grace, he demonstrates once again his keen understanding of the human spirit in a story cast against a vivid tapestry of family secrets, politics, and the Church. Kathleen Leary Donahue has a handsome husband, Brien, who is a senatorial hopeful; three beautiful children; and a promising professional future of her own. But a startling phone call from her husband's male lover brings Kathleen face to face with stunning reality. Respecting Brien's political aspirations, Kathleen agrees to postpone divorce proceedings until after the election. But her safety is imperiled when pressures of the campaign and bouts of alcoholism push Brien to explosive violence. The return of Kathleen's high school flame brings hope to the storm of her life, hope that is jeopardized by old ghosts that threaten to keep them apart. As if the family crisis over Brien's drinking and philandering isn't enough, Kathleen's brother, Bishop James Leary, is faced with an equally volatile controversy within the Church when a young parishioner comes forward to confront the man who sexually abused him: a Catholic priest with a history of similar accusations checkering his past. Fraught with the pathos of a failing marriage, splintered relationships, and shattering secrets, Fall from Grace chronicles the falling fortunes of apatrician Chicago family and the Church they all love.