The new novel by John Boyne, author of the famous “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” is the story of an Irish priest who finds himself a witness and partly an actor in the drama that unfolded in the Catholic Church at the beginning of the 21st century. This is a novel about a man who feels responsible both for himself and for the sins of those around him, he is ready to bear the heavy burden of other people's misdeeds and sins. Young Odhran entered the seminary in the 1970s, when priests in Ireland enjoyed unquestioned authority and were the most respected people. Odhran, full of hope and ambition, sincerely hoped to live his life “for good.” Forty years later, Father Odhran, still as sincere in his faith, doubts everything else. And the reason for this is the unsightly stories in which the Irish holy fathers were involved. The priest in Ireland is no longer a person who is respected and trusted, but an object of ridicule, contempt and abuse. Observing the tragedy of his faith and his church, Odran tries to understand himself, the origins of what happened, and his own family drama. John Boyne's emotional novel, based on real facts, unfolds a complex picture of the guilt of some and its atonement for others. This book is about the fact that if at least one person’s soul hurts and his conscience hurts, then there is always a path to hope.