A Private Man

An exquisite slow-burn forbidden love story.

'A truly impressive debut novel, one I could see appearing on the Booker longlist' – The Sunday Times
'I couldn't put it down' - The Independent
'Thrilling' - Observer
'It’s a rare pleasure to read this novel' - Sarah Moss
'A rich, elegant and textured novel . . . brilliant' - Seán Hewitt
'Truly Outstanding' - Melissa Harrison
'Pulsing with sensuality' - Daily Mail

An Observer Debut of 2026

Rome, 1953. David is young, handsome, charismatic and sworn to celibacy. He is freshly ordained, and about to return to England to begin life as a priest. Devotion to God is all he’s ever known.

In London, Margaret is entangled in an impossible love affair. Committed to living on her own terms without sacrificing her faith, she becomes drawn to a women’s movement challenging the archaic rules of the Church.

When their lives are thrown together at a Catholic college in a quiet village, an undeniable connection forms between them.

Stephanie Sy-Quia’s A Private Man is a stunning story of devotion and sacrifice, and of the consequences of our actions that ripple throughout generations.