Catherine Fox is an established and popular author. Her other books include The Benefits of Passion (Hamish Hamilton 1997), Love for the Lost (Penguin, 2000) and Wolf Tide (CreateSpace, 2013). She lives in Liverpool where her husband is dean of the cathedral.

__"It is a real pleasure to find what many readers are always on the lookout for: a new and original writer of a rattling good story told with intelligence and depth." The Tablet__

Parson's daughter Mara Johns arrives as a postgraduate student at a great northern cathedral city. Antagonistic to the church and fiercely independent, she repels all friendly overtures and seeks spiritual answers in her theological research. But when her past involvement in an extreme sect resurfaces, she finds her quest won't stay academic. Nor can she hold out against her persistent would-be friends.

Gradually she unbends and laughs with Maddy and May; locks horns with the insufferable 'polecat' - and finds herself torn between the attentions of two suitors. But they are both ordinands, and she's vowed she'll never marry a vicar. When her carefully controlled world falls apart, it is these new friends she must turn to if she wants to survive.

Catherine Fox

Cover page

About the author

Title page

Imprint

Dedication

Michaelmas Term

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10 Lent Term

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19 Easter Term

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Parson's daughter Mara Johns arrives as a postgraduate student at a great northern cathedral city. Antagonistic to the church and fiercely independent, she repels all friendly overtures and seeks spiritual answers in her theological research.

Acclaimed on first publication as an astonishingly accomplished debut, this brilliant novel is reissued to delight both new and already enchanted readers. Parson's daughter Mara Johns arrives as a postgraduate student at a great northern cathedral city. Antagonistic to the church and fiercely independent, she repels all friendly overtures and seeks spiritual answers in her theological research. But when her past involvement in an extreme sect resurfaces, she finds her quest won't stay academic. Nor can she hold out against her persistent would-be friends. Gradually she unbends and laughs with Maddy and May; locks horns with the insufferable 'polecat' - and finds herself torn between the attentions of two suitors. But they are both ordinands, and she's vowed she'll never marry a vicar. When her carefully controlled world falls apart, it is these new friends she must turn to if she wants to survive.

'As original as its abrasive but engaging heroine.' Pat Barker in the Sunday Times Pick of the Year 'It is a real pleasure to find what many readers are always on the lookout for: a new and original writer of a rattling good story told with intelligence and depth.' The Tablet 'Fox's novel, drawing skilfully on the high seriousness of a venerable religion, offers more substantial satisfactions than a reader has any right to expect from a first novel about student life. The Sunday Times

A novel about the lives and loves of students in a theological college. Mara is an angry and intelligent young woman who undertakes a theology degree to explore her unresolved relationship with her vicar father and deceased sister, who dies mysteriously in an extreme religious community.

Angels and Men is a compelling fiction about Mara; whose name means bitterness - the name taken by the biblical Naomi. Having survived personal tragedy, she is now trying to survive life as an ordinary university student at Durham among the undergraduates and the slightly divinity students at Durham University. Mara, the daughter of a clergyman and infuriated by religion, would rather avoid them.

This debut novel tackles big themes of love, death, loss, lust as a way to approach the bigger themes of faith and Christianity in general. As the book progresses choices are made, and consequences follow. The dual natures of humanity and spirituality combine in this snapshot in the life.

About the Author

Catherine Fox was educated at Durham and London Universities and has a degree in English and a PhD in Theology. She is the author of three novels, Angels and Men, The Benefits of Passion and Love for the Lost, which explore the themes of the spiritual and the physical with insight and humour.

In 2007, Yellow Jersey Press published Fight the Good Fight: From Vicar's Wife to Killing Machine in which Catherine relates her quest to achieve a black belt in Judo. She teaches at Manchester Metropolitan University and lives in Liverpool, where her husband is dean of the cathedral.

The Good Book Stall

“Angels and Men” gripped me right from the start. I read this book extremely quickly because the author has created good suspense, which made me want to find out what exactly had happened to Mara Johns to make her the way she is. I’m now reading it again, to enjoy the description and the clever and often humorous use of quotes: from the Bible, Shakespeare and other literature.

The author manages to comment in passing on quite a number of current controversial issues, such as atheism, women’s ordination and homosexuality. The reader should be aware that there is a lot of swearing, some blasphemy and a few fairly explicit sexual scenes, which makes the book more difficult to recommend to the average Christian reader. Having said this, in spite of being fairly regularly shocked, I love this book.

Mara and her group of friends come over realistically and are very likeable. The book made me laugh and it moved me. The ending hinted at some positive resolutions, but I would have liked more. A sequel would be nice! I would like to read other books by this author.

Angels And Men

Angels and Men

Navigation Bar

Header Default

Download the Christian360 App to read eBooks and listen to Audiobooks bought at Christian360

Download the App

Angels and Men

Description

Need support?

Customer reviews

Download the App

Download the App