The Passion of Mary-Margaret

Description

Mary-Margaret has always planned to join the church as a religious sister, but falls in love with her childhood friend, Jude Keller, a ne'er-do-well with a soul needing saving. Born in 1930 on a beautiful island off Chesapeake Bay, Mary-Margaret Fischer knows exactly what she wants to be: a religious sister. Despite the violent circumstances of her conception and birth, she simply wants to be in love with Jesus and serve Him the rest of her life. When Mary-Margaret met Jude Keller, the lighthouse keeper's son, she was studying at a convent school on a small island off Chesapeake Bay. Destined for a life where she could never marry, she nevertheless felt a pull toward Jude-gorgeous, rebellious, promiscuous Jude. But Jude, driven by demons no one really understood, disappeared into Baltimore's seamy red-light district to a life working the streets. Mary-Margaret moved on with her life, preparing to serve God with her sisters as a teacher and artist. Then Jude comes home-but now he's bitter, dissolute, and diseased. And Mary-Margaret receives a divine call that shakes her to the core, a call to give up her dreams and marry the troubled man who befriended her so long ago. For Jesus' sake, can she forsake the only life she ever wanted for a love that could literally cost her life A beautiful novel of God's grace in impossible circumstances Book length: approximately 90,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs Also by Lisa Samson: Quaker Summer, Embrace Me, Bella, and The Sky Beneath My Feet

An English language and literature specialist with many years' experience of teaching English and Italian, Lisa Samson is a Senior Lecturer in Writing at Leeds Beckett University. Lisa's first novel, Talk To Me, came second in the Virginia Prize for Fiction 2011. She has been published in short form both in print and online.

"Samson spins a convincing tale about the plans we make for our lives and how God often has other ideas. Well written and enjoyable, this title will appeal to readers who appreciate intelligent fiction with a spiritual element." * Library Journal * "Quirk works; this is a deeply engaging book deserving of a broad audience." * Publishers Weekly *