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Grandmother and the Priests: Stories
Taylor Caldwell's superb new bestseller about a glamourously wicked widow and eleven extraordinary men of God who told wonderful stories is truly a modern materpiece.
346 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
110 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Taylor Caldwell
153 books558 followers Also known by the pen names Marcus Holland and Max Reiner.
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 6, 2019
This is my all time favorite book. I've read it 3 times and plan on reading it again and again. Probably every 4 years I read this and I recommend this book to everyone. Several friends and family members have taken my suggestion and read this and they all loved it. It truly is just a wonderful book. The stories are so brilliantly written and my favorite priests are the Scottish ones. I laughed, cried, and had a smile on my face throughout this book. Taylor Caldwell is a truly gifted writer and I plan on reading her other books :)
July 22, 2018
Of the ten stories in an anthology published by Taylor Caldwell, the first ‘Monsignor Harrington Smith and the Dread Encounter’ and the last story, ‘Bishop Quinn and Lucifer’ speak of encounters the protagonists have had with Lucifer. Had I read these some time ago I would have had a sneaky smile of derision, a feeling of how-did-they-believe-in-such-stuff, an attitude of, aw come on now Lucifer is passé. Strangely an occurrence here in India changed my mind, my feelings about evil.
Some days back, in Burari, Delhi an entire family of eleven whose ages ranged from 77 to 15 committed suicide, they hanged themselves from a grid in the ceiling. Everyone was baffled; the police extremely bewildered, the neighbours utterly flabbergasted, for the family was a much loved one. During the course of investigation, the police found eleven diaries detailing the encounters the family had had with their dead relatives. They had invoked their Father for guidance over a period of 11 years and it had worked, their business had prospered, the kids were studying extremely well and one of the girls in the family was engaged to be married, something that had not happened for a long time as astrologically she was blighted . When invoked, one of the family members ‘spoke’ in the voice of his ‘Father’. Then the ‘Father’ ordered them to hold a thanksgiving service, a service of gratitude for everything he (the Father) had done for the family for a long time. The service consisted of a supposed mock suicide with the family arranging themselves in the shape of the roots of a banyan tree. After the mock suicide the family would have renewed vigour to deal with any problems life would throw their way. But the end was totally unexpected, everyone died.
The question on everyone’s mind but one not voiced is, Who was ‘talking’ to them? Whose advice were they seeking? And who came to them in the voice of the Father.
Rose, the narrator of the story goes to Grandmother’s house whenever there is strife in her family, whenever her parents are fighting. The Grandmother is a rich Irish widow a lapsed Catholic. Grandmother is flamboyant, likes to dress up, has some of the most wonderful jewels, and throws amazing parties. For all her disdain for the Catholic religion, Grandmother loves priests; something about their hard lives touches her deeply. She has deep respect for the way priests toil in tiny villages with hardly any personal comfort, sometimes very little food. The parishioners who are supposed to feed the Pastor/ Priest are very poor themselves but do the best they can. For this reason, she regularly hosts dinner parties for priests. Of course priests are only human, some terribly young, sometimes very hungry, it is not surprising they love good rich food and fine wines. After dinner the Priests narrate strange or beautiful experiences they have had during their ministry, their spiritual journeys through the poor and wild hamlets of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as far as the Outer Hebrides Islands. Surprisingly Rose loves the Priests too; their kindness towards her. Grandmother has no time for Rose at all.
Continuing with the Anthology, if there is evil it naturally follows that there is a God who shows His infinite kindness and Mercy, showering the believers with his boundless generosity. So we have ‘ Father Hughes and the Golden Door ‘ and ‘ Father Daniel and the Minstrel Boy.’
Taylor has a wonderful sense of humour, subtle at times, hilarious at others. ‘Father MacBurne and the Doughty Chieftain’ is really funny. Father MacBurne is inveigled into taking up a position as a priest on an island in Outer Hebrides. The journey is long and arduous. At the end of the journey, the young, bone weary priest is met by the laird and his band of followers. His journey to the laird’s castle is uproarious. The laird has ‘kidnapped’ a lady and her companion from England. He has every intention of marrying the lady and making her the Lady of his island. What follows is touching and honest.
A Saint is born in ‘Father Ifor and the Men of Gwenwynnlynn’ , but is he the true Saint? Or has the most hated man in the village something to do with his being a Saint.
Once again, in ‘Father Donahue and the Shadow of Doubt’ we have a very young priest being sorely tempted and tested by Evil One on Christmas Day. This is an occurrence that happens every twenty years or so in this particular village, whenever a fresh young priest makes his appearance to take over from the old Priest.
‘Father Padraic Brant and the Pale’ should make us dig deep into our souls, seeking our prejudices, turning them upside down. Two Priests a Roman Catholic and Protestant board a train. They, as we all do, try to assess each other. Back and forth their thoughts dart, one measuring the other, until at an obscure station a strangely dressed, bearded hulk of a foreigner enters their compartment. He obviously knows no English and tries desperately to make conversation. Unconsciously, the two English priests now band against the strangely dressed foreigner, discussing the pogroms in Russia. At Manchester, the bearded foreigner stands waiting to alight, glances at the collar the Roman Catholic priest wears, a huge smile breaks his face, Priest he says, Priest! He relates to them in gestures how his wife and kids were killed in the pogroms in Russia and how God has blessed him with a new congregation and a new life in Manchester. Before alighting he blesses them as Men of God. At the station a large crowd of joyful people welcome the bearded foreigner, Rabbi, our Rabbi they joyfully shout, kissing and hugging him.
Father Tom arrives at a small village and finds out that his Rectory as well as that of the Pastor are really in bad shape, the roof leaks because the slates are broken. Father Tom a meek priest is suddenly filled with a kind of anger, ‘why are we Ministers and Priests treated so shabbily, do we not deserve some respect, some love, some affection. Being the son of a carpenter he soon gets his roof repaired, as he hammers the slates, he sings loudly and with great vigour soulful Irish ballads, the singing brings out the laird who hates the Minister (the Pastor) with vehemence because he had the temerity to love and marry his precious daughter. The laird, MacVicar is generous, donating large amounts of money to the people, building their houses, building the churches and the school. MacVicar however is against any fun, not even a tiny drink on a Sunday; he holds the villagers captive in his benevolent embrace. Then one fine day his terrible secret comes tumbling out in ‘Father Thomas Weir and the Problem of Evil.’
Taylor Caldwell springs an amazing surprise when she writes the most astounding murder mystery in ‘Father Shayne and the Problem of Evil’.
To put it in the words of Taylor Caldwell, ‘This is the story of heroes, whose lives were indeed hard and perilous, and who often, like their Lord, had no place to lay their heads, and only a random shelter. They lived in an atmosphere of faith and fantasy and wonder and joy in life, and told wonderful stories about themselves and others. Moreover, though often oppressed, they were truly free men, often lacking in deadly ‘caution’, and never afraid. They, more than anyone else understood Emerson when he wrote, “For what avail the plough or sail or land or life if freedom fail?”
Some days back, in Burari, Delhi an entire family of eleven whose ages ranged from 77 to 15 committed suicide, they hanged themselves from a grid in the ceiling. Everyone was baffled; the police extremely bewildered, the neighbours utterly flabbergasted, for the family was a much loved one. During the course of investigation, the police found eleven diaries detailing the encounters the family had had with their dead relatives. They had invoked their Father for guidance over a period of 11 years and it had worked, their business had prospered, the kids were studying extremely well and one of the girls in the family was engaged to be married, something that had not happened for a long time as astrologically she was blighted . When invoked, one of the family members ‘spoke’ in the voice of his ‘Father’. Then the ‘Father’ ordered them to hold a thanksgiving service, a service of gratitude for everything he (the Father) had done for the family for a long time. The service consisted of a supposed mock suicide with the family arranging themselves in the shape of the roots of a banyan tree. After the mock suicide the family would have renewed vigour to deal with any problems life would throw their way. But the end was totally unexpected, everyone died.
The question on everyone’s mind but one not voiced is, Who was ‘talking’ to them? Whose advice were they seeking? And who came to them in the voice of the Father.
Rose, the narrator of the story goes to Grandmother’s house whenever there is strife in her family, whenever her parents are fighting. The Grandmother is a rich Irish widow a lapsed Catholic. Grandmother is flamboyant, likes to dress up, has some of the most wonderful jewels, and throws amazing parties. For all her disdain for the Catholic religion, Grandmother loves priests; something about their hard lives touches her deeply. She has deep respect for the way priests toil in tiny villages with hardly any personal comfort, sometimes very little food. The parishioners who are supposed to feed the Pastor/ Priest are very poor themselves but do the best they can. For this reason, she regularly hosts dinner parties for priests. Of course priests are only human, some terribly young, sometimes very hungry, it is not surprising they love good rich food and fine wines. After dinner the Priests narrate strange or beautiful experiences they have had during their ministry, their spiritual journeys through the poor and wild hamlets of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as far as the Outer Hebrides Islands. Surprisingly Rose loves the Priests too; their kindness towards her. Grandmother has no time for Rose at all.
Continuing with the Anthology, if there is evil it naturally follows that there is a God who shows His infinite kindness and Mercy, showering the believers with his boundless generosity. So we have ‘ Father Hughes and the Golden Door ‘ and ‘ Father Daniel and the Minstrel Boy.’
Taylor has a wonderful sense of humour, subtle at times, hilarious at others. ‘Father MacBurne and the Doughty Chieftain’ is really funny. Father MacBurne is inveigled into taking up a position as a priest on an island in Outer Hebrides. The journey is long and arduous. At the end of the journey, the young, bone weary priest is met by the laird and his band of followers. His journey to the laird’s castle is uproarious. The laird has ‘kidnapped’ a lady and her companion from England. He has every intention of marrying the lady and making her the Lady of his island. What follows is touching and honest.
A Saint is born in ‘Father Ifor and the Men of Gwenwynnlynn’ , but is he the true Saint? Or has the most hated man in the village something to do with his being a Saint.
Once again, in ‘Father Donahue and the Shadow of Doubt’ we have a very young priest being sorely tempted and tested by Evil One on Christmas Day. This is an occurrence that happens every twenty years or so in this particular village, whenever a fresh young priest makes his appearance to take over from the old Priest.
‘Father Padraic Brant and the Pale’ should make us dig deep into our souls, seeking our prejudices, turning them upside down. Two Priests a Roman Catholic and Protestant board a train. They, as we all do, try to assess each other. Back and forth their thoughts dart, one measuring the other, until at an obscure station a strangely dressed, bearded hulk of a foreigner enters their compartment. He obviously knows no English and tries desperately to make conversation. Unconsciously, the two English priests now band against the strangely dressed foreigner, discussing the pogroms in Russia. At Manchester, the bearded foreigner stands waiting to alight, glances at the collar the Roman Catholic priest wears, a huge smile breaks his face, Priest he says, Priest! He relates to them in gestures how his wife and kids were killed in the pogroms in Russia and how God has blessed him with a new congregation and a new life in Manchester. Before alighting he blesses them as Men of God. At the station a large crowd of joyful people welcome the bearded foreigner, Rabbi, our Rabbi they joyfully shout, kissing and hugging him.
Father Tom arrives at a small village and finds out that his Rectory as well as that of the Pastor are really in bad shape, the roof leaks because the slates are broken. Father Tom a meek priest is suddenly filled with a kind of anger, ‘why are we Ministers and Priests treated so shabbily, do we not deserve some respect, some love, some affection. Being the son of a carpenter he soon gets his roof repaired, as he hammers the slates, he sings loudly and with great vigour soulful Irish ballads, the singing brings out the laird who hates the Minister (the Pastor) with vehemence because he had the temerity to love and marry his precious daughter. The laird, MacVicar is generous, donating large amounts of money to the people, building their houses, building the churches and the school. MacVicar however is against any fun, not even a tiny drink on a Sunday; he holds the villagers captive in his benevolent embrace. Then one fine day his terrible secret comes tumbling out in ‘Father Thomas Weir and the Problem of Evil.’
Taylor Caldwell springs an amazing surprise when she writes the most astounding murder mystery in ‘Father Shayne and the Problem of Evil’.
To put it in the words of Taylor Caldwell, ‘This is the story of heroes, whose lives were indeed hard and perilous, and who often, like their Lord, had no place to lay their heads, and only a random shelter. They lived in an atmosphere of faith and fantasy and wonder and joy in life, and told wonderful stories about themselves and others. Moreover, though often oppressed, they were truly free men, often lacking in deadly ‘caution’, and never afraid. They, more than anyone else understood Emerson when he wrote, “For what avail the plough or sail or land or life if freedom fail?”
January 8, 2008
One of the most entertaining collection of short stories (loosely strung together as a novel) that I have ever read. There is heroism, beauty, romance (no, not the priests, but @ least 2 tales of TRUE LOVE), mystery (two good little mysteries, actually), & some heartfelt parables of faith. You do not have to be Catholic to enjoy this book, though it will help a lot if you don't have an antipathy toward priests. It is a ROMANTIC viewing of the priesthood, even in the stories that deal with hard, hard times. The stories range from quite readable to excellent.
June 18, 2008
This is my favorite book of all time with all its short stories in one big story taking place all over England, Scotland and sometimes Ireland. I first came across it in college when our RA brought it out and we all took turns reading it out loud to one another, which was a challenge with all the different and thick accents! I loved it so much I hunted down a hardcover copy as soon as I got my first real job. I re-read it every year. It makes you feel good to be a Catholic, which doesn't happen all that much in books these days. And with out being preachy. Faith is so much more than facts and laws.
June 21, 2017
Whenever I see a Taylor Caldwell novel on one of My Big Fat Reading Project bestseller lists, I sigh and groan and gird myself to suffer through another wordy, melodramatic, sometimes religious tone layered in with her odd political views. (You may ask, why do I read them then? For the answer, see my post on My Big Fat Reading Project. http://keepthewisdom.blogspot.com/200...) This one was the #6 bestseller in 1963 and turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It does have a strong religious theme but was much more palatable for me than The Shoes of the Fisherman. I will explain why.
The grandmother of the title is a rich Irish widow who gave up the Catholic religion at a young age. She likes to dress up, drink, and throw parties. For no explained reason, she regularly hosted dinner parties for a group of priests. Is it a cliche that priests love good rich food and fine wines, brandy and whiskey? I seem to have run across this trope in many novels ranging from mid 20th century bestsellers to Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series.
What made this an enjoyable novel was the tales told by these priests as they sat around the fire after dinner, well fed and certainly a bit drunk. All of them are Irish and another cliche is what good storytellers the Irish are. That storytelling gift is also evident in all of Taylor Caldwell's books and I decided she was almost the Danielle Steele of her era.
The tales were entertaining as each priest looked back at his younger days, usually spent at some poor parish in off-the-beaten-track Irish towns. The housing was often shabby, the food spare, the weather beastly, and the nuns controlling. Yet these priests became father figure, judge, psychologist and just plain problem solver for their parishioners.
Every tale includes a moral conundrum demanding the young priest to think outside the box while maintaining a grounding in Catholic doctrine and needing to save as many souls as possible. Though a couple of these stories went on a bit too long, I actually loved the ways these holy men overcame doubt and fear and sometimes downright criminal behavior. In each case, it was their humanitarian urges that brought them through hardship to create better conditions for all involved.
We could use a few more men like them today!
The grandmother of the title is a rich Irish widow who gave up the Catholic religion at a young age. She likes to dress up, drink, and throw parties. For no explained reason, she regularly hosted dinner parties for a group of priests. Is it a cliche that priests love good rich food and fine wines, brandy and whiskey? I seem to have run across this trope in many novels ranging from mid 20th century bestsellers to Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series.
What made this an enjoyable novel was the tales told by these priests as they sat around the fire after dinner, well fed and certainly a bit drunk. All of them are Irish and another cliche is what good storytellers the Irish are. That storytelling gift is also evident in all of Taylor Caldwell's books and I decided she was almost the Danielle Steele of her era.
The tales were entertaining as each priest looked back at his younger days, usually spent at some poor parish in off-the-beaten-track Irish towns. The housing was often shabby, the food spare, the weather beastly, and the nuns controlling. Yet these priests became father figure, judge, psychologist and just plain problem solver for their parishioners.
Every tale includes a moral conundrum demanding the young priest to think outside the box while maintaining a grounding in Catholic doctrine and needing to save as many souls as possible. Though a couple of these stories went on a bit too long, I actually loved the ways these holy men overcame doubt and fear and sometimes downright criminal behavior. In each case, it was their humanitarian urges that brought them through hardship to create better conditions for all involved.
We could use a few more men like them today!
February 17, 2011
Grandma Potter recommendation. Many thoughtful, some-not-so-short short, stories from an earlier, seemily simplier time.
Page 465
"He (Lucifer) threw back his head and laughed again, that hearty and rollicking laughter. But suddenly he was sober. He looked at the Bishop.
"'You will remember a vision you had, which you saw in your church when you were fainting of hunger. Tell no one of it!'
"'Why shall I not?' said the Bishop.
"'Because it is my truth, though it was prophesied by Another. You shall not see it, nor the young prients following you. But those not yet born will see it, and it will be my triumph, my final triumph. Many there will be who will try to escape it, but they shall not! For man is a curse upon the earth, which would be free of him, but would He listen to me, He Who knows all? No He would not. Yet He and I know that it wil come to pass on this earth, and we shall see,' said Lucifer, vengefully, 'who will triumph then! For in the womb of time there is breeding a race of men who shall be my total servants. Hail an fareswell, Bishop Quinn, and rejoice that you shall not see that day!'"
Page 465
"He (Lucifer) threw back his head and laughed again, that hearty and rollicking laughter. But suddenly he was sober. He looked at the Bishop.
"'You will remember a vision you had, which you saw in your church when you were fainting of hunger. Tell no one of it!'
"'Why shall I not?' said the Bishop.
"'Because it is my truth, though it was prophesied by Another. You shall not see it, nor the young prients following you. But those not yet born will see it, and it will be my triumph, my final triumph. Many there will be who will try to escape it, but they shall not! For man is a curse upon the earth, which would be free of him, but would He listen to me, He Who knows all? No He would not. Yet He and I know that it wil come to pass on this earth, and we shall see,' said Lucifer, vengefully, 'who will triumph then! For in the womb of time there is breeding a race of men who shall be my total servants. Hail an fareswell, Bishop Quinn, and rejoice that you shall not see that day!'"
August 20, 2021
Quick without thinking: What is your go-to-book, you have at least one copy and maybe more than one, have given at least one copy to a friend or family member? What book is on your nightstand for restless moments?
Grandmother and The Priests by Taylor Caldwell is no longer published, is difficult to find on library shelves, and is almost beyond affordable on any bookseller site (although it is offered on Kindle for about five dollars.)
I unearthed my copy in the bottom of a dusty box at a library tag sale years ago, and have treasured it to this day. I have gifted copies to my sisters, my mother, and to a few good friends when the book was more readily available and for a reasonable cost.
The book is an anthology of eleven different tales - some say legends or myths - told by priests from eleven different parishes covering Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The priests’ stories are retold by a grownup Rose, the granddaughter of the original Rose Mary O’Driscoll, as she sits with her husband reminiscing about the time she spent with grandmother and the priests when she was a young child of six years old.
Grandmother is a lapsed catholic who enjoys entertaining the priests who hope to save her soul and to bring her eternal salvation. She laughs at this suggestion; however, she is never one to say no to a good narrative. Each priest is called upon in turn by grandmother to share their anecdote; some are funny, some are colorful, and some deal directly with the devil. The priests come from different backgrounds; yet, they have each given up luxury and comfort to be with those who need them as shepherds of God. They share their devotion to the people of their parishes, and to God and the miracles he bestows upon them.
This is definitely a religious book; however, it is also a book of strength and courage and the willingness to face adversity even it means sacrifice and personal cost. This is my bedside book for nights when I need encouragement, strength, and hope. On other nights, I simply turn off the light and go to sleep.
October 17, 2019
LITTLE Rose McConnell gets sent to her grandmother’s house whenever her parents are fighting. Grandmother herself, Rose Mary O’Drescoll from a huge Irish family, is, even as an old lady in Edwardian England, somewhat of a black sheep and probably not the best influence on the young girl. Though no longer a practicing Catholic, she remains friends with many priests and loves to have them to dinner at her elegant home. Precocious little Rose begs to be allowed to join them as one by one, several priests (from Ireland, Scotland, Wales) tell their tales. Incredible tales, with incredible titles, some are heartbreakingly sad, some poignant or amusing, some philosophical, and some so odd as to border on legend or fantasy. Some of the titles are: Monsignor Harrington-Smith and the Dread Encounter, Father Alfred Ludwin and the Demon Lady, Father Daniel O’Conner and the Minstrel Boy, Bishop Quinn and Lucifer.
March 12, 2019
Taylor Caldwell is one of my very favorite writers. She is old -fashioned now because her writing is full of excellent words with descriptive passages about the weather, atmosphere, the glory of the sun, the furtive moon and pungent smells. The woman can write and her editor, Max Perkins, said that her books never had to be edited or changed from it's original copy. This book I've just finished again (I've read all her books save 2 at least 10 times each), is a series of supernatural, miraculous short stories told at the dinners hosted by the grandmother for 12 or so priests who are prayerfully hoping she comes to salvation. She adamantly and riotously laughs at the thought and feeds them well and gives to their personal charities but not to Rome and not to the church. Each tale stands on its own but is linked by the interludes involving the grand-daughter's visit to her grandmothers - "the auld child". If you don't like Catholicism or religion in your fiction don't read this but if you like fantastical stories with a catholic flavor read ,Grandmother and the Priests. I read it at Christmastime but only just not reviewing it. Enjoy.
December 25, 2015
This enchanting anthology features the anecdotes shared by Catholic priests at soirées hosted by the redoubtable matriarch Grandmother Rose. The stories are meant as cautionary tales in order to inspire relapsed Catholic Rose to actively embrace her family's faith, that, according to their teachings, her soul be saved. Little Rose, named after her formidable grandma, listens rapt as the yarns unfold: a Scottish Clan-Head about to make a horrid choice in partners; harrowing visions featuring their religion's villain; saintly men doing their work in obscurity or mystery; a brave youth prevailing against a more powerful but wrong elder; companion animals serving their humans courageously; all these take turns upon the stage. There is a short distant epilogue: do the priests succeed in persuading Grandmother Rose, as they did with Little Rose? It's a pleasure to journey through to that last paragraph, threading motif already half-forgotten, in whatever order through this amazing collection.
February 23, 2016
A red-haired lass of four or five is sent to her grandmother's house while her parents quarrel. In a world where children do not much associate with their adult relatives she is treated well by her grandma's dinner guests, priests, or Romans as they are called. Herein are the tales told by the Irish, Scottish, or English priests after dinner over brandy around the parlour fire, mostly about themselves and/or their parishioners. There is even a story in a story in a story. Some are put off by these, but I found them enchanting. The brogue was written just enough to give flavor to the tales but not so much as to be irritating to the reader. The tales put me in mind of the "Rabbi" books I just finished, for just as the Rabbi told of the Jewish beliefs, so did the priests tell of the Catholic faith. I read this for a book club and am so pleased to be part of the group, for I never would have heard of this without the other members.
April 4, 2018
A spiritual journey through the poor and wild hamlets of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as far as the outer Hebrides Islands. Rose, a young English girl, is sent to Grandma's whenever her parents argue. Grandma is flamboyant, rich and immoral, but she loves to entertain the priests. They come hoping to save her. The priests invite her to the table, unheard of then, where she is enthralled by their stories. These are priests serving the poorest of the poor. In these remote corners God is everywhere, faith is strong. Miracles even occur. Caldwell portrayed the beautiful wilds of turn of the century British Isles and the humble and desperate poor. These priests gave up comforts to spend their lives with them. The stories are fiction, but this was a fact. Every story was unique in demonstrating how God showed his grace to those who believed. I was sad when this book came to an end!
June 18, 2012
The title is actually "Grandmother and the Priests." Very entertaining book about a non-believing woman who befriends priests. They're not "a group of priests." They are very much individuals, and she sits with them individually over a period of years and debates theology, morality and all sorts of eternal quetions. The story is told through the voice of her granddaughter, who eavesdrops on all of the jousting and comes away with a remarkable education.
December 12, 2017
OMG, I have read several Taylor Caldwell books and they are always overly detailed taking a long time to read, but overall the story is good. But this one was so tedious it took me 2 1/2 months to read, I even had to take a few breaks from it and read other books in between chapters. But I am no quitter, I stuck with it and finished it. As always, a good book but this one is far too drawn out.
November 27, 2016
The M o real is...
I loved Caldwell's epic novels that spanned several generations. Real people, love, disappointment, success..the lives of characters that breathed on each page. I expected more..got less. Priest's moralizing stories..good if you need to believe. Great Irish scenes, setting. Sophisticated bible stories... not for me...
I loved Caldwell's epic novels that spanned several generations. Real people, love, disappointment, success..the lives of characters that breathed on each page. I expected more..got less. Priest's moralizing stories..good if you need to believe. Great Irish scenes, setting. Sophisticated bible stories... not for me...
June 22, 2010
Wonderful tales! Stories within a story. Caldwell weaves each Priests story with dexterity, keeping each story fresh with its own voice. The main story is kind of weak, but the book is really about the sub stories.
It leaves you wanting more of the Priests tales.
It leaves you wanting more of the Priests tales.
July 18, 2010
this was the first book i read of hers. what an amazing writer. i always thought of this a her take canterbury tales...only the priests tell the different stories. then i read another of her books and it was like it was written by a different person. amazing!
February 5, 2012
A woman invites 13 priests to stay at her home with the payment being that each one tell a story of his parish. The 8-year-old granddaughter is allowed to stay and listen to each story. The stories are amazing and full of learning.
October 3, 2015
I was happy to see this book in a kindle edition. Read it in high school when it first came out in paper back. It has stood the test of time and I was as enthralled as much as I was the first time. I am not Catholic but these tales interested me.
February 9, 2016
A group of priests s meets at the home of an eccentric lapsed Catholic woman and share tales from their experiences as priests in early 20th century England. Caldwell is a masterful story teller and each story is riveting.
February 24, 2017
This was my second reading, the first more than 50 years ago. It was a delightful
endeavor. I highly recommend experiencing the story telling so characteristic of the Irish! The stories will teach and touch your heart and soul.
endeavor. I highly recommend experiencing the story telling so characteristic of the Irish! The stories will teach and touch your heart and soul.
May 17, 2018
First read this book when I was a young teen and adored it. I just revisited it, and what a pleasure. Yes, of course it's dated, but the stories are insightful and enjoyable, and I like storytelling handled in this deft and heartfelt fashion.
January 25, 2008
Can't really remember whenI actually read this but I do remember enjoying this one! Reminded me of my mom. Hahaha
Currently reading
July 15, 2009love it, very respectful of Holy priest.
April 20, 2010
A wonderful and funny book. You could almost see yourself sitting there with Grandmother and the priests listening to their stories. I enjoyed this very much.
October 6, 2010
This was one of my mom's favorite books and she gave it to me to read. I lived grandmother and reminded me of relationships parishoners used to have with their priests.
January 11, 2011
This is one of my all-time favorite books. I have to read it again every few years.
February 11, 2015
I think this is one of Taylor Caldwell's finest books. It's a series of stories told to the Grandmother by priests, trying to save her soul, before she dies.
June 21, 2012
Loved this book! Have bought multiple copies to give to friends!
September 23, 2012
A classic bit of storytelling from a master of narrative. You may not love all of the stories but, rest assured, at least one of them will live in you forever.
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