Publisher’s Blurb
Not too distant from the City of Oxford is the obscure country village of Hampden Ferrers. And in the centre of Hampden Ferrers is the village church of St Clements. And as the church approaches its fifteen-hundredth anniversary, some of the villagers decide that this record of continuity and stability is a cause for celebration. But even as the committee are putting their plans together, the vicar discovers a secret that threatens to undermine everything. Then the arrival of two female Chinese students and an Italian TV celebrity leads to a succession of love affairs – some suitable, others far less so – which in turn lead to some extraordinary results. The atmosphere of romance is engendering miracles. Slowly, surprisingly, the village becomes involved with magical events. The impossible becomes the everyday. Even the Dreaming Spires of Oxford University are drawn in. Until a threat emanates from within the church itself, and the celebration committee has to decide who is really in command of the world…

FIRST EDITION: Little, Brown, 2004