"McDonagh writes scintillating, witty, probing intellectual history that is also extremely moving."--Jackie Wullschläger, Financial Times A Financial Times Book of the Year 2025 "It is absorbing to read the vividly described cultural setting of the lives that Melanie McDonagh explores."--Christopher Howse, Telegraph "A rich and rewarding study: elegant in style, humane in its judgments, and alive to the multiplicity of paths that led modern Britons to Rome."--Paula Byrne, Sunday Times "Thoughtful [with] vivid biographical storytelling."--Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian "Groundbreaking."--Mary Kenny, Irish Independent "Authoritative and . entertaining."--John Banville, Irish Times A Tablet Book of the Year 2025 "[The book] does justice to its cast of characters [and] demonstrates not only why the floodgates opened for a few decades, but also why the stream has never quite dried up.
"--Dan Hitchens, New Statesman "Engrossing. A riveting read."--Christopher Akers, National Review "Melanie McDonagh addresses a wave of conversions among the artists and intellectuals of the previous century, and incidentally sheds some light on our own time."--Valerie Stivers, UnHerd "Superbly researched and argued. [McDonagh] has illuminated [these converts] with a compassionate wisdom that will surely have more heads and hearts heading for Rome."--Rory Knight Bruce, The Field "Bring[s] to light the conversion stories of all kinds of artists and intellectuals: writers, painters, poets, philosophers. Though she plays the role of broad-stroke sociologist, McDonagh's forte lies in meticulous biography."--Beatrice Scudeler, First Things "A much-needed volume.
Read this book with a notebook at your side, for you will find many, many more books and routes to follow, and incisive quotes galore--which is of course the great gift of fine scholarship."--Nick Ripatrazone, Image "Melanie McDonagh adds to a quarter-century of scholarship exploring this 'remarkable sociological development.' . Her rendition surveys frequently-studied luminaries, like G. K. Chesterton, Graham Greene, David Jones, Muriel Spark, and Evelyn Waugh, while containing some distinctive features, such as including Elizabeth Anscombe and Gwen John in a panoramic prosopography."--Adam Schwartz, University Bookman "This is a sprightly and learned study of a modern British cultural phenomenon which over seventy years or so helped to restore Catholicism to a central place in national life after four centuries. Melanie McDonagh presents her formidably varied cast of characters to us with imaginative sympathy for the emotional strengths and interesting array of weaknesses that ushered them into a new home in the Catholic Church.
"--Diarmaid MacCulloch, author of Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity "This is a wonderful book, beautifully written and chock-full of fascinating people. McDonagh brings a totally new perspective on these well-trodden biographies."--Stephen Bullivant, author of Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America "A lively treatment of a rich topic, vigorously and trenchantly written. McDonagh has put her finger on a strong current within British intellectual and artistic life, not previously identified or explored."--Eamon Duffy, author of The Stripping of the Altars.