Vestments

"In this potent debut about a wayward yet devout young priest who struggles to reconcile his faith with longings of the flesh, Reimringer has crafted a suspenseful, illuminating, and highly readable saga. . . . Reimringer excels, most notably, at revealing how the sensual delectations of Catholic ritual and the forbidden delights of the flesh are part of the same continuum, as sin and repentance feed off each other."

--Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"'Ribald and wry, concerned at heart with faith and forgiveness, Vestments is a rich, involving debut."

--Stewart O'Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster and Songs for the Missing

"This book knows the soul of the great old city: the yellowing taverns and fraying neighborhoods, the sense of grace in decline, the doubtful saints wrangling their disbelief. John Reimringer writes with the confidence and observation of one who was there at the time and is there still, and his novel has the knuckles and shouting and beer breath of glory."

--Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a River and So Brave, Young and Handsome

"In this memorable, skillful novel, Reimringer writes compassionately about the tie between violence and yearning, the calls of the body and the calls of the spirit. Many writers can write well about one or the other. The gift of this writer is his rich understanding and love of both. Vestments is a wise, wide, and eloquent book."

--Erin McGraw, author of Lies of the Saints and The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard

"Deeply rooted in history, burning with family furies, and told by a narrator-priest you find yourself rooting for (and wondering about), this is a captivating novel, scene by scene."

--Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter