Obedience

"An intensely imagined novel about one of the defining questions of the century just past: where and how we choose to draw the line between innocence and guilt, ignorance and complicity. Obedience also asks us to consider what ghastly harm is committed in the name of love. It’s rare to find a book that is seemingly so simple, but is really ambiguous and thought-provoking." — Hilary Mantel, Man Booker-Prize winning author of Wolf Hall

"With delicacy and restraint, Jacqueline Yallop lets us get close to her characters yet never judges them–crucial, when dealing with the self- deluded and the self-righteous. Obedience is the best kind of Occupation romance: forbidden, tortured and indelible." — Stewart O’Nan, author of Emily Alone

"Yallop’s exploration of the space between innocence and guilt, of complicity and delusion has a lingering power." — Kirkus Reviews

"Obedience will give you no answers about good and evil, innocence, guilt, holiness, God, or obedience. What you will receive is a riveting story that haunts and provokes and subverts easily held assumptions, tosses them in the air and then makes you keep thinking long after you’ve read the last page." — Beverly Donofrio, author of Riding in Cars with Boys

"The character of Sister Bernard is a Madame Bovary of the convent world. Her fantasy and insatiable need for love prove to be far greater than her ability to analyze character. While superficially simplistic, her relationship with God is complex and she is capable of battling God with the strength of Joan of Arc. These contradictions in her character are seamless and a complex and unforgettable character emerges." — Catherine Gildiner, author of After the Falls

"The deceptively quiet writing style of this compelling novel operates in perfect counterpoint to the intense drama of the story it reveals. A thoughtful and troubling look at the consequences of love, faith, blame, and betrayal, with the ferocious voice of God hovering above it all." — Diane Schoemperlen, author of Our Lady of the Lost and Found