Impossible Saints
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Escaping the constraints of life as a village schoolmistress, Lilia Brooke bursts into London and into Paul Harris’s orderly life, shattering his belief that women are gentle creatures who need protection. Lilia wants to change women’s lives by advocating for the vote, free unions, and contraception. Paul, an Anglican priest, has a big ambition of his own: to become the youngest dean of St. John’s Cathedral. Lilia doesn’t believe in God, but she’s attracted to Paul’s intellect, ethics, and dazzling smile.As Paul is increasingly driven to rise in the church, Lilia finds her calling in the militant Women’s Social and Political Union. They can’t deny their attraction, but they know they don’t belong in each other’s worlds. Lilia would rather destroy property and serve time in prison than see her spirit destroyed and imprisoned by marriage to a clergyman, while Paul wants nothing more than to settle down and keep Lilia out of harm’s way. Paul and Lilia must reach their breaking points before they can decide whether their love is worth fighting for.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this rich debut, Harwood questions whether two people following divergent paths can reconcile their beliefs, convictions, and societal obstructions to forge a life together. This concern haunts Lilia Brooke, who rejects her conservative upbringing to become a social progressive and leading advocate for the women's vote in 1906 London. Paul Harris, her childhood friend, is an Anglican priest intent on becoming the youngest dean of a prominent cathedral. Reacquainted as adults, the two quickly develop romantic feelings for each other, but also realize the seemingly impossible task they would face in reconciling their differing worldviews and passions. When Lilia joins the militant wing of the suffragette movement, she puts her reputation and life at risk. Simultaneously, Paul's ambitions and feelings for Lilia threaten to overwhelm his inner faith. As both careen toward self-destruction, they come together for a shared reckoning. Grounded in a wealth of research into the suffrage movement, the book will please readers who enjoy detailed historical recreations. With insight and sensitivity, Harwood explores century-old social mores and challenges that still echo loudly today.
