Mary Cavanagh - Novelist

A Great Review of A Man Like Any Other

I would like to thank Sharon Goforth (Ex-Libris), the renown BookBlogger (independent reviewer) from Chicago USA for this wonderful review. As my books aren't available in the USA I am very grateful that she has highlighted the excellent international service that The BookDepository offers here in the UK.


A Man Like Any Other: The Priest's Tale

Last summer I had the privilege to read and review the first novel published by English author Mary Cavanagh. That book was The Crowded Bed, the gripping and provocative story of a Jewish doctor and his struggle with his faith versus love, ending ultimately in murder. It was so good, it made my end-of-year "best of the best - top 5 books of 2007" list.
This past week I was fortunate to read Mary's second novel, A Man Like Any Other: The Priest's Tale, which I had been anxiously waiting for since the day I put down The Crowded Bed. Expect the unexpected is an understatement when reading her books. This woman knows how to pack a literary punch. And A Man Like Any Other: The Priest's Tale did not disappoint.
The story focuses on Father Ewan McEwan, a somewhat unconventional and at times controversial priest who specializes in grief counseling. Little does he know how much he will need his counseling skills when Marina, his secret lover of 25 years, succumbs to cancer. Marina's death sets into motion a series of events that will forever change the lives not only of Father McEwan but an entire circle of people surrounding him. It forces each of them to come to terms with who they truly are as well as who and how they love.
Some may find this book a little uncomfortable. But isn't it in those uncomfortable moments when we must wrestle with ourselves? Good literature makes us think, and rethink, about who we are and what we believe via a fascinating story you cannot put down. (Trust me - once you start, you will not want to put this book down!)
I highly recommend this book and encourage you to order it or ask your library to order it. It is not currently available in US bookstores, but you will find it online at The Book Depository. (They offer free shipping worldwide.) This book, as with Mary Cavanagh's first novel, is most certainly worth it.