Lying Prophets

In the Cornish fishing village of Newlyn, where spring beauty, hard labor, and deep superstition coexist, Lying Prophets begins with a fierce clash between faith and illusion. Against a vivid landscape of sea air, cottages, harbor masts, orchards, and cliffs, the novel follows artists and villagers as they wrestle with art, truth, and the hidden costs of desire. The result is a tense, atmospheric story of beauty shadowed by poverty, judgment, and moral conflict. At the center is John Barron, a sharp-tongued, gifted painter who rejects artistic pretension and insists on Nature, individuality, and raw honesty. His attention turns to Joan Tregenza, a shy local girl whose guarded beauty and troubled future draw him in as both woman and subject. As Barron courts her trust with wit and restraint, the novel deepens into Joan's private crisis: family rejection, shame, and the brutal consequences of her condition. Yet amid heartbreak, she clings to a fragile hope in "Mister Jan" and in the life still ahead, making this a powerful tale of art, longing, and survival. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.