The Second Sleep (2020) by Robert Harris

When a local parson of a remote village dies under mysterious circumstances, Christopher Fairfax, a young English priest, is dispatched on horseback from the cathedral city to conduct his burial. His orders are to give the sermon and leave as quickly as possible. But when he arrives in this distant hamlet, haunting questions arise. Why did the parson possess heretical texts? How did he come to own banned ancient relics? Did these possessions lead to his death?

Until this moment, Fairfax has never known doubt. His faith in the Church and its teachings has always been unquestioning. But over the next six days, everything he believes and everything we believe–about his faith and the very history of the world–will be tested. An unnerving and enthralling story about a distant time, The Second Sleep is a cautionary tale for today.

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This book will be discussed at our meeting on

19 April 2022 (note: due to the Easter weekend, we will be meeting on a Tuesday this month).

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