Glamorous Powers

The second in the series of Starbridge books - Glamorous Powers - is the one I liked the best. IN this book we get to know Jon Darrow, who figured in the first volume Glittering Images as Charles Ashworth's spiritual director, more intimately. Whereas in Glamorous powers, seen through Charles Ashworth's eyes, he was the perfect super priest who knew everything, here we actually get under Jon's skin and see him as he sees himself: as a flawed, confused man with many problems, in particular concerning his relationship with women. Jon had spent several years in a monastery as a monk, but now, in his sixties, he receives a calling from God to leave the monastery and fulfil a mission in the world - but he doesn't know what. Nor is he certain if that mission includes marriage.For anyone with an interest in Gnosticism and mysticism, this is a particularly interesting book - but such an interest is definitely not a pre-condition for reading and enjoying it! I'm not the only Howatch reader to have this as their favourite in the series. (...)

Susan Howatch may be a woman with training in the law, but she gets inside the mindset of male priests in the Anglican Church (Episcopal Church in the U.S.) better than anyone else. This is a mystery, a suspense novel, a love story and a deeply psychological look at spiritual direction all rolled into one. The book begins with a man having a vision of a small country chantry (chapel). Outside the chapel is a unique suitcase. Is this god telling him to pack his bags and leave the monastary he has known for so many years? After intense spiritual direction, that I found riveting, he decides to leave. He goes on holiday, and while walking down the hall of the inn he is at, he see the suitcase of his vision! He has to meet the owner of the valise. She turns out to be a beautiful woman (much younger than himself). Will love ensue? What is god's will? This book will encourage you to consider the power of prayer and god's direction for your life. It will call you to wrestle with the possibility of healing and evil. This book began my love affair with each of the books in the "Starbridge" series. It could be the start of something special for you, too.

When Susan Howatch's Church of England Series was recommended to me, the first book to fall into my hands was Glamorous Powers. I read it three times; once just for the captivating story she wove; a second time with the dictionary; and a third time to meditate on the psychology and theology. Few books have made such a profound impression, reaching beyond entertaining to mentally challenging and spiritually inspiring. This book and the rest in the Church of England series (I have read all seven) are unique in modern literature, grappling boldly and convincingly with the deepest concepts of faith through the most entertaining medium of master storytelling told by one of the best. I highly recommend every book in this series. Each is entertaining. Each is a study of hope in the face of despair. Each is a mystery skillfully unraveled. Most I have read more than once, but Glamorous Powers, by a narrow margin, continues to be my favorite. This book is a bargain at any price; this author, a treasure.

Having read all six books in Ms. Howatch's Church of England Series, I find deciding which is best difficult. Each book, especially the first three, introduce new characters and examine them in extreme depth. Ms. Howatch pulls no punches on human fraility. But, at the same time she holds out Hope for those who choose to strive for their ideals. I highly recommend these books.

"Glamorous Powers" is the second of the "Church of England" Series and centers around the character of Jon Darrow whom, if you have been reading the six books in this series in chronological order, you would have already met in the opening work: "Glittering Images." The "glamorous powers" of the title are Darrow's intuitive and Holy Spirit- inspired gifts of prophetic insight, counseling, teaching and healing. But Darrow is not just gifted, he is also suseptable to all the human weaknesses and psychological convolutions we all must face. How can he understand God's will for his life, reenter the world after years of monastic life, make peace with his family, face his own past faults and ultimately find his new calling? And how objective will his spiritual director be when he and Darrow have long shared a history of interpersonal conflict? As a Christian pastor who knows a bit about "glamorous" spiritual powers, I particularly related to Howatch's insights regarding the need for spiritual leaders to work out their personal "kinks" in order to properly platform God's power. Darrow shows us how vital, yet difficult this task is, especially since it almost inevitably means we must share our deepest weaknesses with another. As usual, Howatch's text reads briksly and is packed with story twists, insights and characters that leave you crying for more. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Bill Faris