The Violent Bear It Away

A haunting exploration of faith, family, and the struggle between the sacred and the profane. First published in 1955, The Violent Bear It Away is a landmark in American literature. This dark and absorbing novel showcases Flannery O'Connor's Gothic sensibility and bracing satirical voice. It follows the orphaned Francis Marion Tarwater and his cousins, the schoolteacher Rayber, as they defy the prophecy of their dead uncle—that Tarwater will become a prophet and baptize Rayber's young son, Bisho