Two Bishops

by Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Bishops Armstrong and Ware deal with some problems in their a church member with two wives, a jailed convict, and a youngster who has attempted suicide three times

Genres: Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published November 12, 1981

About the author

Novelist Agnes Sligh Turnbull was born in 1888 in New Alexandria, PA. After a dozen years as a short story writer, Turnbull wrote her first novel, The Rolling Years, published in 1936. In the 14 additional novels she wrote over the next 40-plus years, Turnbull built a thorough chronicle of the Scots who settled and farmed rural Westmoreland County. Turnbull died in 1982.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the heart of this book is a friendship between a retired bishop and an active bishop who live together in the same house. Agnes Sligh Turnbull implies that it is a Paul/Timothy kind of relationship, and it is beautiful. Bishop Ware, the retired bishop, reminds me of Father Tim from the Mitford series. He has that lovely mellowness after many years of ministry and cares more about God’s redemptive work in individual lives than stiff and stubborn rules. He begins a prison ministry in this book that was so moving to read about.

The younger bishop, Bishop Armstrong, is quite a different character. My heart felt more drawn to Bishop Ware but Bishop Armstrong’s unique love story is quite romantic and moving and fleshes out his character in such an interesting way. (Also super adorable meet cute. The term does not fit with the quiet dignity of this novel but it’s just the only fitting term for it!)

Agnes Sligh Turnbull doesn’t shy away from some hard things in this novel but the overall feeling of the book is a lovely warmth. She has skill in bringing her characters to life and captures the details of daily life beautifully. There is a feeling of a British novel about it because it’s about two Episcopalian clergymen and yet it feels distinctly American. I also love a novel that presents clergymen and people of faith with full sincerity and dignity.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a slower, more gentle read than the fantasy novel I'd been reading, and The Two Bishops certainly sufficed! The bishops' problems, dreams, and relationships were enjoyable to read and I liked my time spent in their world.

Somewhere I read an opinion that the reason Sligh Turnbull fell out of popularity was because her world is too safe and everything is too happy in the end. I don't think that's right. Otherwise, we would not have the ever-popular cozy mystery and romance genres! Personally, I think some writing flaws, particularly in dialogue, keep her books from being perpetually popular. The narrative itself flows well and the characters are likable and engaging. Yet, the dialogue often suffers from characters over-explaining ("I will finish in a sentence" followed by four sentences). All the main characters do it, so it's not a unique feature of one character's speech. This is the type of thing that a creative writing professor would have worked out with a writing student in a semester, or just reading dialogue aloud in the editing stage.

However, I still enjoyed the book and will read more by Sligh Turnbull. I found her take on clergymen interesting and this book was just the slow, sweet pace I needed. I enjoyed seeing the characters' spiritual lives explored and how they handled ethical decisions in the diocese. It did not strike me as the most realistic take on a bishop's life, but what it did present often had the ring of truth.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am just astounded by this author. Here is a 92 year old woman - born in 1888 writing and thinking with more practical, muscular faith, more kindness and TRUE morality than most clerics today. Because of her age, the often religous settings and the time that she was writing, I keep expecting her to be fairly fundemental and conservative. But she isn't. She isn't any fuzzy minded, psuedo-spiritual, way left person. Her faith seems so strong, well grounded and sensible that it feeds my own. She is one of those writers who make me wish that I knew these people, had these relationships and these conversations.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clergyman's life is suddenly thrown into turmoil by the unexpected appearance of a mischievous and beautiful young woman. A most gentle read.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting love story with an unusual twist...was fun for a quick read that was a little more unusual...explores the dilemma of clergy being married.