The Strolling Saint

Agostino d'Anguissola grows up under the weight of other people's expectations. His mother imagines a saintly future for him, while his father's legacy belongs to the rival world of family honour and political struggle. As he moves beyond the restrictions of his upbringing, he encounters desires, violence and loyalties that cannot be judged by simple rules. Set in Renaissance Italy, Rafael Sabatini's novel takes the form of a personal confession. Adventure becomes a way of examining how a character is made and how far an imposed vocation can determine a life. Agostino must distinguish genuine faith from obedience and find a moral responsibility that belongs to him rather than to the plans others have devised.