The Penance Walk

About the Book

A true story From a stern Irish and English upbringing, nine year old John was placed in a Roman Catholic Boarding School in England in the early years of the Second World War. The heavy discipline meted out by the Catholic Teaching Order of Priests, who ran St Michael's College and the viciousness practiced by the older boys was almost unbearable. He was soon befriended by one of the priests, his Form’s English Master. He did not realize that the attention he was receiving, was due to the priest’s physical attraction towards him, but was pleased to have the attention of a sensitive father figure, as his own father had died before the war. When invited to stay during a summer school holiday at the Order's Novitiate College housed in a rambling Elizabethan country mansion, the relationship came to a climax when the sexual advances by the priest increased and became intolerable. The boy’s mindset now believed that he was committing a series of mortal sins and was scared that he’d be damned to Hell for eternity. He felt a strong urge to go to Confession, but whom could he trust? With a stoicism developed during those early days at St Michael’s, he was determined to stop the sexual part of their relationship and eventually taught the priest a lesson he would never forget. Concerning the title The Penance Walk was an exposed paved rose garden in front of the school, where boys were sent in all weathers to memorize a lesson they had failed to do correctly, until it was recited word perfect.

About the Author

John Mannering Harrison Born in England in 1931, he lived and worked in London, England until he moved to Bradenton in Florida with his wife Susan when he retired in 2002 after a successful career as a graphic design and marketing consultant. His design & marketing group won numerous design awards and his work has been featured as articles in the leading international design publications and exhibited in worldwide major exhibitions. His son Jed Mannering Harrison has also established himself as a senior design consultant in London and has designed the covers for this book. He also has a further son Paul Mannering Harrison and a daughter Jane Elizabeth Birman, from a previous marriage who both live successfully in Perth, Western Australia, with their respective families John Harrison can be contacted at: Telephone 941 708 9111 Email jmharrison@tampabay.rr.com 649 Foggy Morn Lane Bradenton Florida 34212 USA