This is a wonderful tale of a decidedly conflicted Scot clergyman whose life is saved by the Devil. Funny and thought provoking, this wonderfully written novel was a total joy to read. My wife got a little tired of me constantly reading aloud from the text, but I was compelled by this author's creative imagination and masterful manipulation of the language. Longlisted for the Mann Booker Prize, it is this Scottish author's first novel to be released in America.

A critical success on both sides of the Atlantic, this darkly imaginative novel from Scottish author James Robertson takes a tantalizing trip into the spiritual by way of a haunting paranormal mystery. When Reverend Gideon Mack, a good minister despite his atheism, tumbles into a deep ravine called the Black Jaws, he is presumed dead. Three days later, however, he emerges bruised but alive—and insistent that his rescuer was Satan himself. Against the background of an incredulous world, Mack’s disturbing odyssey and the tortuous life that led to it create a mesmerizing meditation on faith, mortality, and the power of the unknown.

“Provocative . . . [Gideon’s] testament will affirm your faith in the power of fiction.”
—The Washington Post

“Haunting, memorable, and completely compelling.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Uncommonly thought-provoking and serious-minded . . . Gideon Mack’s story raises disquieting questions most modern fiction prefers to ignore.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

James Robertson is the author of two previous novels published in the U.K., The Fanatic and Joseph Knight. The latter was awarded the two major Scottish literary awards—the Saltire Book of the Year and the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year.

Imprint: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Distributor: Penguin Group USA, Inc
Publication Date: 02-26-2008
Pages: 400
Measurements: 8.18in X 5.24in X 0.75in X 0.62lb