Michael

Again, as in his tremendously popular earlier books, Owen Francis Dudley deals with the problems of human happiness. In this new novel his talent for storytelling seeks its expression in highly dramatic incidents which take place in a variety of settings and with a fresh cast of fascinating characters.


The action moves across half a world, from England to the South Seas, and begins on a steamer bound for New Zealand, where Father Thornton becomes a confidant of Michael St. Helier. Introverted and unfriendly, this young man in an accident on shipboard behaves in a manner which is interpreted as cowardice. The Masterful Monk finds that extreme sensitivity and an unhappy home life have brought about a morbid revulsion from ugliness and violence and a refusal to accept pain or sacrifice. Recognizing the psychological problem involved, he takes young St. Helier in hand and becomes his friend and mentor. With unflagging interest the reader follows the steps by which, through many trials and adventures, Michael is brought face to face with his own problems and is able, in the end, to confront his future with courage. A tender love story is interwoven in this compelling novel.