The Left Hand of God Author:William E. Barrett "Almighty God, if this sacrilege be a betrayal of You, I must face Your judgment. I shall not betray these people who believe in You. This is my solemn vow at Your altar. I will live as a priest while people believe me to be one." — So Jim Carmody prayed as the realization of the enormity of what he had done swept over him. A soldier of fortu... more »ne - hard, cynical, restless - he had assumed the role of the dead Father O'Shea to escape the service of Mieh Yang, the Chinese war lord who had saved his life and demanded his freedom in return. Only now could he see the consequences of what he had done.
How the mercenary turned priest won the love and respect of the peasants he served and the nurse who helped him is the warm story of an honest man compelled to revalue his life and take the consequences of his sacrilegious deception. Woven through the story is the suspense of impending discovery from within, by the suspicious and incisive mission doctor, and from without, by the war lord who loved and hated him at the same time. The agony of awakened faith reaches its climax in the dramatic encounter between Carmody and Mieh Yang. There is no hesitation as Carmody lays his own life on the line rather than betray the people he has grown to love.
This is an intriguing novel- the masterfully written story of a masquerade that became real; a soldier of fortune who became The Left Hand of God.« less