Father Nicolas Taylor (a Just call me Nick') is a complete contrast to the dour Father O'Donnell. Naive and impressionable, he readily accedes to Nadina's request for a recommendation to attend the prestigious Convent School of the Holy Name. Fergus accosts Nick on his first Sunday to tell him of the cover-up but the new priest is unmoved, convinced of the absurdity of the allegations. Seeking advice from the wily Monsignor O'Shea as to how to deal with the unstable Irishman for a time he is reassured. However, when fellow priest and friend, Guy Holdcraft hints that there may be some truth in the assertions Nick is deeply troubled. Disturbing dreams interrupt his sleep and he begins to doubt the Monsignor's explanation of his predecessor's hurried visit to a dying mother in Ireland. Rabid anti-cleric Superintendent Robertson is eager to investigate the Irishman's claims and sends devout Catholic Chief Inspector Charles Harris to investigate. Despite the ruthless questioning of his colleague, sergeant Penhaligon. Nadina continues to deny anything at all improper took place. Fergus decides to take matters into his own hands and travels to O'Donnell's new parish to kill him. However, the gun jams, O'Donnell kicks and beats him and he is left unconscious in the churchyard. Struggling home and close to death he is nursed back to health by the local GP with Ryan at his side. News of the death of seventeen year old Foureyes further illustrates Ryan's compassion when he gives the homily at the funeral. Deeply angered by the injustice Fergus accidentally lets slip to his son that Nadina was indeed abused by O'Donnell. Yet Ryan is unwilling to believe that Nadina was the unwilling victim. Enraged, he takes up with the provocative June Greengage. Bored with June and missing Nadina, Ryan asks her to forgive him and the couple are engaged. Temporarily, both now go their separate ways. Nadina to Oxford University and Ryan, a soldier in Germany with the Occupying British army for two years.

It is 1939, the outbreak of World War Two, and ten year old Ryan Brannigan newly arrived from Ireland experiences the horrors and excitement of war. A rebellious lad in conflict with the parish priest, Father O'Donnell, his teachers, and his father, as well as the Church, he forms an uneasy relationship with Nadina Brown, a vulnerable, ultra-religious, highly sensitive, intelligent girl of the same age. Ryan's father, Fergus, an armchair warrior of the IRA due to a wound sustained in the Easter Rising of 1916, strongly suspects the priest of abusing the girl, though she strenuously denies it. Convinced that she is scared to tell the truth, he hurries round to the presbytery to find O'Donnell gone back to Ireland and a priest to replace him arriving the very next day. Angry and frustrated, Fergus rushes to the police station to demand action, but his complaints are contemptuously dismissed. Ryan, confused over the turn of events has taken a thorough dislike towards Nadina. But soon he will discover the truth and his compassion for her and desire for revenge will know no bounds.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.