same book as "Grandmother and the Priests"
Apparently this was retitled as "Grandmother and the Priests", as the same stories are in the later title. A remembrance of gatherings of priests at her irreverent grandmother's house when her young granddaughter visits , this is a collection of stories of miracles, mysteries, heroism and personal change in the lives of several priests and the people of their parishes. Written with Ms Caldwell's exquisite ability to tell a tale and see the world from the perspective of people of all walks and stations, it is set in the Victorian era and Scotland, Wales and England. The dialects and regional attributes will make the reader feel he or she can "hear" the lilt of a Scottish, Irish or English voice. and the descriptions, both physical and action, bring the characters to life. A good and thought provoking read, vaguely reminiscent of "The Listener" and "No One Hears But Him". For some reason, it is one of the few books of Caldwell's I have not re-read over the years, (probably due to the very unattractive cover on the paperback version of "Grandmother and the Priests"), so I enjoyed reading it again. It will go on the shelf with all my Taylor Caldwell books to be re-read, along with Pearl Buck and Michener. She is one of few authors whose stories are always relevant to the times.
