Dear James - Hardcover

Agatha Magee, the feisty, quick-witted, fiercely Catholic doyenne of Staggerford, Minnesota, confronts crises large and small in her 70th year. She is forced to retire from her beloved teaching, she’s crushed to learn that her Irish pen pal James is a priest, and she’s faced with the evils of the world — from Irish terrorism to the petty jealousies that tear apart life in a small town.  Jon Hassler explores themes of loss and spiritual renewal in this engaging novel.
 

“Characters so exquisitely rendered that even a first-time visitor to Staggerford will come to love them as old friends.”
--New York Times Book Review
 

“A deliciously rich, simmering brew of envy, charity and redemptive love.”
--Publishers Weekly
“Old-fashioned storytelling at its best.”
--Kirkus Reviews
Personal and public crises descend on Agatha Magee in her 70th year. The feisty, quick-witted, fiercely Catholic spinster travels to Italy and Ireland to shake off the malaise of a forced retirement. There, against the backdrop of IRA and Islamic terrorism, she confronts the love of her life, a priest who has betrayed her by concealing his clerical identity. Back home in Staggerford, Minnesota, two spiteful acquaintances smear Agatha’s good name with malicious stories. With the sure touch of a narrative master, Jon Hassler blends gentle satire and acute insight in a compelling story of loss, forgiveness, and renewal. 

“Characters so exquisitely rendered that even a first-time visitor to Staggerford will come to love them as old friends.”
--New York Times Book Review
 

“A deliciously rich, simmering brew of envy, charity and redemptive love.”
--Publishers Weekly
“Old-fashioned storytelling at its best.”
--Kirkus Reviews
Personal and public crises descend on Agatha Magee in her 70th year. The feisty, quick-witted, fiercely Catholic spinster travels to Italy and Ireland to shake off the malaise of a forced retirement. There, against the backdrop of IRA and Islamic terrorism, she confronts the love of her life, a priest who has betrayed her by concealing his clerical identity. Back home in Staggerford, Minnesota, two spiteful acquaintances smear Agatha’s good name with malicious stories. With the sure touch of a narrative master, Jon Hassler blends gentle satire and acute insight in a compelling story of loss, forgiveness, and renewal.