Be Near Me

Father David Anderton, an English Catholic priest, finds himself isolated in a small Scottish parish, a world away from his affluent upbringing and the intellectual fervor of his Oxford days. His life takes an unexpected turn when he forms a bond with two rebellious local teenagers, Mark and Lisa. Their innocent, yet challenging, company sparks a cascade of memories, drawing David back to pivotal moments: his formative years at a Catholic school, the political awakenings of 1960s Oxford, and a fateful, defining choice made amidst the orange groves of Rome. As David navigates the complex landscape of their lives, his friendship with the youngsters unwittingly ignites a smoldering suspicion within the insular community, a town inherently distrustful of outsiders. The rising tensions force David to confront not only his present predicaments but also the long-buried secrets and moral compromises of his past. Andrew O'Hagan masterfully explores the intricate emotional and ethical struggles of faith and doubt in a world increasingly bereft of traditional certainties.