The Ultimate Intimacy
by Ivan Klíma
A brilliant and humane novel of ideas exploring the dynamics of love, adultery, and faith by a major figure in world literature. Pastor Daniel Vedra cares for his family and his congregation, ministers to prisoners, and is a sought-after commentator on the rapidly changing society of the Czech Republic. But when a beautiful stranger comes to hear him preach, Daniel soon finds himself falling in love with another man's wife. As his heart stirs, the order that once underpinned Daniel's life begins to unravel. And as a result, he stands to betray everything he has lived for: his family, his vocation, and his God. In the course of a year, Klima's moving, elegantly constructed novel paints "vivid portraits . . . through letters, diary entries, and everyday scenarios. . . . Many people will recognize a bit of themselves in this sad but stunning and insightful book" (Library Journal). A New York Times Notable Book, The Ultimate Intimacy is a...