The Keys of the Kingdom

A Scottish priest on a mission in China, is torn between practical values and doctrines of the Catholic Church. The Keys of the Kingdom tells the story of a man with great courage and conviction, a man unafraid to stand up for what is right. Francis Chisholm--a kindhearted and straightforward Scottish priest--walks a path all his own, making him unpopular with other members of the clergy. Ostracized by the clerical community and looked down on by his superiors, Chisholm takes a position in China where he supervises a mission beset by poverty, civil war, and plague. He encounters fierce resistance from the local Chinese who distrust his motives, especially as they do not understand or condone his faith. Despite enormous obstacles and temptations, Father Chisholm continues to live in accordance with what he holds as the ultimate truth--serving humanity is the one true religion of the world The Keys of the Kingdom is the unforgettable story of the Reverend Francis Chisholm and his fight against the snares of the world he has given up . . . his forbidden attraction to women . . . his struggle with his superiors . . . One of Cronin's most famous characters, we follow Chisholm from Scotland to China over the course of six decades as he tries to find the true path for himself and the church. Guided by humility and strength, courage and kindness, Chisholm must overcome the famine, plague and war his journey presents to him. From the pen of the author of The Citadel, Hatter's Castle, The Stars Look Down, Shannon's Way and The Spanish Gardener comes this compelling tale of an ordinary man of the people. From the author of The Stars Look Down and The Citadel, and the creator of Dr Finlay's Casebook