Tongues of Angels: A Novel

by Julia Park Tracey

"A Catholic priest with questions. A penitent woman with a secret past. A jealous friend. The fourth in this lover's knot? God.

Father Rob Souza faces the forbidden desire of his own heart when Jessica, victim of a brutal assault, comes for counseling. Rob’s best friend, Lawrence, is a priest with an artistic temperament and trials of his own. A Greek chorus of gossiping priests, and church politics riddled with suspicion and battling for souls, force Lawrence, Rob and Jessica to make choices they didn't intend.

Tongues of Angels offers a peek behind the curtain of the priesthood, offering a funny, poignant look at Catholic angst and ambiguity. Based on a true story, Tongues of Angels is a canny, warm and surprisingly spiritual novel for our time. Now back in print for the 10th Anniversary Edition, through Indie-Visible Ink.

“Julia Park Tracey brings wicked honesty and scathingly hot nuance to this soulful novel; with crackling prose, she seduces readers. Tongues of Angels is both sexy and spiritual.” ---Jordan Rosenfeld, author of Forged in Grace

Julia Park Tracey is an award-winning writer, editor, and activist. Her women’s history project, The Doris Diaries (www.thedorisdiaries.com), is a series of early 20th century diaries penned by her great aunt; they include I’ve Got Some Lovin’ to Do: The Diaries of a Roaring Twenties Teen (1925-1926) and Reaching for the Moon: More Diaries of a Roaring Twenties Teen (1927-1929), both through Indie-Visible Ink. She lives in Northern California. Follow Julia at www.juliaparktracey.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads and Amazon."

Genres: Fiction

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2003

About the author

Inspired by a mysterious train receipt in her family’s scrapbook, Julia Park Tracey researched her Orphan Train roots and wrote The Bereaved about her found relatives.

Julia has ancestors—or should we say an-sisters? In digging through her family history, she has uncovered a trove of powerful women who break rules and stand tall against whatever dares to oppose them. Another such heroine is the Puritan woman named Silence Nichols Greenleaf; look for Silence: A Novel from Sibylline Press.

Julia took a pause between historicals to write a contemporary romance about a lonely librarian named Nelly who found comfort in the Little House books through childhood trauma. On a whim, she takes a train journey to DeSmet, SD, on a literary tour, and on this journey, she finds her HEA. A provacative fanfic and slightly spicy romance for nerd-girl-bookworms! Whoa, Nelly! comes out in November 2025.

Watch this space for more news!

Reviews

[Tomi L. Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few contemporary novels out there that captivate, entertain and make you reconsider your own view of the world, and TONGUES OF ANGELS is one of those. In Park-Tracey's masterful hands, the very human lives of two of God's men are flayed open and displayed, examined in honest, often searingly satiric and sensual prose. The author's background in poetry is evident in her lush description, and her thorough research and care for the story shines through in the imagining of actual events.

Highly recommend.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tongues of Angels takes us behind the velvet ropes of the Catholic church, where secrecy and ceremony mask the daily struggle of priests grappling with their all-too-human emotions. Piety and propriety are difficult enough to maintain, but celibacy is the vow they make every minute of every day, with varying degrees of success. One priest, Father Rob Souza, is tempted by forbidden fruit in the form of the lovely convert Jessica, whose company he finds intellectually, spiritually and over time, physically stimulating. Tracey’s strong, elegant voice is like good music played in the background of a gripping story. I found myself reading certain lines aloud to hear how she wrung so much emotion out of so few words. She has a great ear for dialogue, for bringing characters to life through their conversations – especially the priests, with their racy innuendos, their exclusive brotherhood and their attempts to either live up to their vows or at least not get caught breaking them. I was blown away by this book, and not at all surprised to find it was loosely based on real events. I’ll certainly read it more than once.

[Christina Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, peeling away the curtains of the Catholic Church is a bit like opening Pandora's box. This story gives the reader a candid view of the men behind the collars. Their parishioners exalt and Angel-ize them, but they're really only humans, right? Yeah, humans battling desires against an iron-clad promise to God. Talk about sizzling tension, and this book delivers every juicy minute of it. Sometimes God wins, sometimes desire, but either way, one side loses until the tug-a-war ends in the ultimate climax.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tongues of Angels manages to be sexy, smart and spiritual all at once. And without even trying, timely for the changes happening in the Catholic Church. As a person who grew up without religion but has long held a fascination it's both a probing look at how religion does and doesn't work, and also just a fantastic story of love and longing, of being human and hungering for both romantic love and divine love. I really, really adored this book. Deep characters, language and imagery that haunts, and philosophically challenging.

[Frankie Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a spare hour before bed this week, so I thought I would settle in with a new book and then catch an early night. I bought Tongues of Angels by Julia Park Tracey, and five hours later I was cursing her. I was immediately drawn into the plot—the conflicted priest, Father Rob Souza, has a seriously intriguing storyline. While I’m sure few of us have made vows of celibacy, we can all understand and relate to wanting something we can’t or aren’t supposed to have. The attraction between Father Souza and Jessica, the new convert to the church, is palpable. The author’s writing style is completely immersive and had me invested in all the character from the first page.

The philosophical and spiritual aspects of Tongues of Angels run deep, and it’s clear that the author has definitely dotted the Is and crossed the Ts on her research. When I went and did a little research of my own after finishing Tongues of Angels (in just 2 days! I was addicted!), I found out that the story was based in part on a true story, and that was intriguing in itself. I’d love to know more about the real life characters that Rob, Jessica and Lawrence represent.

I would recommend Tongues of Angels to people who like a well-written, sensually beautiful book with a little controversy and a pinch of scandal. I’ll definitely be looking for Julia Park Tracey’s future work!

[Kelly Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down to read Tongues of Angels and didn't want to put it down. Julia Park Tracey parted the velvet curtain and ushered us inside the Church and showed that Priests are mortals just like the rest of us. Jessica and Father Rob had choices to make that would forever alter the lives they thought they were destined to live. Father Rob is conflicted in his duties and promises to God and his desires for Jessica and no matter what choices he makes, he can't win and will always be conflicted. We see how two longtime friends turn into rivals and one betrays the other in the name of God. How choosing to love and follow your heart means turning your back on everything you believed in. How choosing love makes you question everything you believe in.

Religion and those giving their life to God are always an interesting subject and Tongues of Angels does not disappoint, showing how the Catholic Church is teeming with longing, sexuality, intrigue, betrayal, spirituality, taboos and men and women who are flawed, just like the rest of us.


I smelled the Frankincense and heard the swishing of the robes until the very last turn of the page.

[BeenBunz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly entertaining. I didn't think I would enjoy reading about the inner workings of the clergy assuming that the novel will be extremely sterile, dull and full of Catholic propaganda. Fortunately, it was more of an elaborate gossip column bringing readers into the richly adorned, yet emotionally unfulfilled and complicated life.

I could not and would not put the book down while waiting for the train-wreck to happen. As the story progressed, I gtradually sided with and felt for Father "Rob" and hated Father "Lawrence." Since finishing the novel this morning, I cannot seem to stop thinking about what Father "Rob's" ultimate decision was regarding his future.

[Maggie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel now just as I have in the process of reading and "reporting" on this book. I've read other reviews, too, because I hate like fury repeating what others have said. I'll be honest. I don't think I could add more positive insight, and I sure will not be the one adding spoilers! I have studied religion for over 40 years. I still find something new and refreshing every time I think I know "everything". Julia's Tongues of Angels brought to light for me some things about the Catholic Church that were certainly new to me and explained a few things I'd always been curious about. While it's a work of fiction, it's easy to see for someone like me that the author has done some deep research. In that research, she has really fleshed out each of the characters and intertwined relationships in such a way that you swear you were there. It is a well written and moving novel. It makes you think.

[~Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I must admit I picked this book up to satisfy a challenge and, bonus, I liked the title. Just being honest here. It was good, really good. I have already recommended it to a couple of my friends.

This book is an interesting look at a group of priests that are friends. The book looks at their lives, their struggles, their faith, their victories and ultimately the fact that they are human.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a nice short read, but unfortunately it was too short for the story it wanted to tell. And it did so want to tell a lot of stories. A mix of proseltizing female ordination in the Catholic church, the religious journey of a deeply hurt woman, and the conflicts of faith in vocation of priests, Tongues of Angels only managed to do one of those concepts justice. But, it did it good justice, hence the four stars (although if I had the option it really would be 3.5).

First the bad:

The 'female ordination' bits were absolutely shoehorned in. I would guess it's a pet cause of the author, but it could easily be the opposite cleverly done: these parts were so unsynchronized with the book and poorly presented that it could be an attempt to turn the reader off the idea. The main characters of the book only consider the idea in a "oh yeah, why don't we do that" way, absolutely no more depth involved. As I said, this book could have been longer, and if so perhaps explored the notion more, as it is an important consideration for modern Catholicism. But as it was, it should just have been left out.

Next, Jess, the female protagonist. Even with good decision making at the end, Jess just came off as a complete Mary Sue, shallow and simply there for to give Rob something to play off. It felt like the chapters regarding her and the rest of the book were written by two completely different authors. I realize that my condemnation of her and of the above makes me sound anti-women, which is bizarre because I am a frothing feminist. But, as objectively as I can insist, although the author is female, in this book she just could not write women.

However, this is totally different from her presentation of the priests. Both Rob and Lawrence are characters of complexity and intensity, both likeable and frustrating, but in a good way, a frustration that lets you know you're invested. I would have loved to see Lawrence explored more, and learned more about the other priests. It was such an entertaining and fascinating story of the private lives and passions and concerns of Catholic priests. I absolutely loved it, and despite the problems I had with this book, the good actually did outweigh the bad.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good God, y'all.

This book is amazing. Forget about the extremely non-PC but very believable premise, which I LOVE. Or the staggering amount of details I picked up about the Catholic system, of which I previously knew almost nothing.

The writing in this book will GET you. It will grab you by the throat and bring you to your knees. I'm not a very religious person, and could not stop reading this book until I'd devoured it.

BTW, I found this book because of a blog post on Bad Redhead Media. I am so thankful that I did.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really interesting and intricut book that I did not expect. Never imagined what it would be like behind the closed doors of Catholics.

[Paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great first read of 2015! This book is amazing! The writing is flawless, interesting characters, I need more fabulous books like this one!

[Muriel Murch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A confession - I was gifted this book rather than bought it. And I have devoured and relished it through this New Years winter storms. A tender and intricate story beautifully told. As a non-catholic but brought up in a firm (The right word?) Church of England - school I found this fascinating. Not only the characters, Father Rob, Jessica and the priests that make up their lives but also The Church. Her power and presence lies like a supportive hammock beneath them and a dark low hanging cloud about them. I confess - I really enjoyed the story and writing both.

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved all of this author's books. She doesn't stick to one genre, and this one sticks out by itself. The author has the power to NOT make each book seem like it's being voiced by just a slightly different version of the same person (a trap that Barbara Kingsolver has fallen into). She's a great writer in general, I follow her blog and many of her essays have been powerful, expressive, and sometimes gut wrenching. But I digress, read this book.

[Teresa Lavender · Rating 3 out of 5]

i received this book free for an honest review. It was well written. The characters well developed. There was a bit of romance. It was a good light read. I really didn't care for the ending. Very steeped in Catholic religion - a priest who is sure of his calling, but feels the church should change some of its rules.

[Eric Turowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic prose and vivid characterization. A lot of interesting behind-the-scenes information (gossip?) on Catholicism and the church. Julia Park Tracey writes a great book. I recommend this, and recommend her other titles, like the Veronkia Layne series, as well.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, thought-provoking book. I missed my subway stop many times reading this.