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| 23 Mar 2026 | |
| Written by Chloe Sawbridge | |
| Blog |
About the Book
An exquisite slow-burn forbidden love story, laced with passion and faith.
Rome, 1953. David is young, handsome, charismatic and sworn to celibacy. He is freshly ordained, and about to return to England to begin life as a priest. Devotion to God is all he’s ever known.
In London, Margaret is entangled in an impossible love affair. Committed to living on her own terms without sacrificing her faith, she becomes drawn to a women’s movement challenging the archaic rules of the Church.
When their lives are thrown together at a Catholic college in a quiet village, an undeniable connection forms between them. And so begins a story of forbidden love, sacrifice and secrets, with consequences that will reverberate across the generations.
Stephanie Sy-Quia’s A Private Man is a stunning story of devotion and sacrifice, and of the consequences of our actions that ripple throughout generations.
Recommended for:
About the OKS Author
Stephanie Sy-Quia attended King’s in Luxmoore House from 2009 to 2013. Since leaving King’s, Stephanie has achieved a BA in English at The University of Oxford. Beyond education, Stephanie has written for The Guardian, Boston Review, and The London Magazine to name a few. Her writing resulted in her being shortlisted for the Bodley Head Essay Prize, and she is a Ledbury Poetry Critic. Stephanie has also written her debut poetry collection, Amnion, and just released her first novel, A Private Man. Throughout her career, Stephanie has been a Journalist, Author, Poet, Podcast Host, and now a Teacher.
To find out more about Stephanie, read a recent interview we did with her. A Private Man can also be purchased at Waterstones.
