A Private Man: ‘A thrilling love story of intellect and passion’ The Observer, best debut novelists of 2026

Set in mid-century Rome and England, this forbidden slow-burn love story will take your breath away'A truly impressive debut novel, one I could see appearing on the Booker longlist' - The Sunday Times'It’s a rare pleasure to read this novel' - Sarah MossRome, 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. 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. READERS LOVE A PRIVATE MAN‘Lives and breathes along with yo