LatinosUSA

Amazon Description

After being stood up to be shot by a group of drunken Nigerian soldiers, a whiskey drinking, ‘John Wayne’ type priest takes care of him. A racist, alcoholic pastor nurses him through a near fatal bout of malaria. Devastated by the death of a young schoolgirl he then has to bury her. A Muslim friend offers him his youngest wife for the night if only he will stay in his house. Take a Priest Like You is a true to life ‘survivor’ tale. Declared at birth to be the ‘next priest in the family,’ Barrington provides a brutally honest and gripping portrayal of his struggles to find his true self, from the strict discipline of an all-boys boarding school, through ten years as a missionary in Africa. After living as a hermit for a year, followed by ministry in Scotland, Spain and Puerto Rico, he takes a momentous decision to leave the only life he had ever known. Combined with warm humor and moving insights it offers a rare glimpse into one priest’s emotional and painful journey home.

Excerpt

“The officer then stormed off towards the shack, all the while shouting something to his men. Two of them went inside and came out with what looked like a machine gun on a tripod, and set it up twenty yards directly in front of us. 

“Line up, line up on this side,” one of them shouted as he pushed everybody into a line alongside the wagon. It was parroted by several others. “Line up, line up now.”

It was only at this point I realized they were deadly serious. Here I was in the middle of nowhere, deep in the jungle, at ten o’clock at night, surrounded by people I did not know, and about to be shot for something I knew nothing about. I could hear some of the women sobbing; the rest were silent. I stood with them, paralyzed: the priest, the religious, and the missionary, with a mantra playing in my head. “You will be shot like a dog and your body thrown into the jungle. It will never be found.” I did not think about God. I couldn’t pray. The tape in my head kept playing and playing. 

The officer strutted up and down in what might have been a comic pose, but for the terrifying reality and seriousness of the setting.

“I will count to five to give you one last chance, and then I will shoot all of you if nobody comes forward. A very bad thing has happened, and you all will be punished. I will take pity on no one.” He pronounced it as “piety,” but I was under no illusion as to what he meant.” 

© Michael Barrington

Praise for «Take a Priest Like You»

Stood up to be shot by a group of drunken soldiers, a whiskey drinking, “John Wayne” type of priest shows real caring. A racist, alcoholic pastor nurses him through an almost fatal bout of malaria. Devastated by the death of a twelve-year-old schoolgirl, he then has to bury her. A Muslim friend offers him his youngest wife for the night if only he will stay in his house.Declared at birth to be the ‘next priest in the family, Barrington’s story, Take a Priest Like You, is a true to life ‘survivor’ tale, replete with adrenaline pumping adventures, daunting challenges and one priest’s profound religious struggle to find his true self. Combined with warm humor and moving insights it offers a rare glimpse into one man’s spiritual experiences. He spends a year as a hermit before making a momentous decision, then disinherited by his family, he leaves behind the only adult life he had known. Peace comes as he marries, and he finds his ministry working with marginalized people.“A moving, inspirational story of commitment, devotion and not a little agony.” 
-Harlan Hague. International best-selling author. Prize winning historian.

“Your book brought me to tears! From beginning to end, you expertly laid out your journey exposing your soul. I felt your emotional angst, destructive loneliness, personal conflicts and thoughts as if I were you. I traveled over impossible roads, trembled when you were almost shot, felt sorrow when Eugenia died, and my body ached with malaria. Thank you for your positive impact on the less fortunate, for writing this book so readers can experience your extraordinary life.”  
-Cecelia Pugh: California Writers Club.

Kindle (Paperback is also available)

Author Biography

Michael Barrington a British author living near San Francisco, has published 12 books, mainly historical and literary fiction. Four Mile House and No Distance Between Us are his most recent novels.  Magic at Stonehenge is a collection of short stories. Take a Priest Like You is a memoir. He has published more than 60 short stories, is an assistant editor for The Brussels Review and a columnist for the Diablo Gazette. He blogs on his website: www.mbwriter.net.