Overview

In his raw and tender memoir, biographer Kevin Wells pulls readers into the unforgettable story of a parish priest turned hermit, Father Martin Flum, who orchestrated the slow resurrection of his wife, Krista, from the nightmare of her deep wounds and addiction. In gripping fashion, Kevin tells the story of his family's own long suffering, which culminated in the dark spring of 2020, as a strange fear pressed down upon the world and his wife spent most nights drinking away long-held shame. When a near-universal chorus of politicians, medical professionals, and Catholic clergy megaphoned the command to ""isolate,"" Kevin couldn't imagine a more dooming word for his family, his marriage, and the life of his wife. Yet God had other plans. Wells' honest tale of inner crisis and hope-filled resurrection takes readers on a spiritual rollercoaster, offering a penetrating exploration of the sacramental grace of marriage and the mysterious movement of God in dry, lonely places. In the journey from darkness to light, three lives--Krista, Kevin, and Father Flum--became forever entwined. It is a deeper kind of love story. The chapters on the fits and starts of renewal unfold like the piecemeal opening of a tomb. The Hermit is a true account of marital survival, a holy priest, redemption, and even the miraculous, where imprisoned shame and sin are transformed into the joy of freedom.

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9781621647003

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Reviews

""A harrowing, utterly candid account of a couple struggling with the bondage of addiction, as well as a biopsy of a Church and a nation. The author teaches us numerous ways to personally resist the devil and grow in love and peace, showing how dying to ourselves each day is essential to our birth into eternal life. This phenomenal story should be read by every shepherd of souls--indeed by all those who seek to follow Jesus wholeheartedly."" -- Michael D. O'Brien, Author, Father Elijah: An Apocalypse ""Many books speak to me. This one moved me. A gripping story of redemption meant not for paper, but for your soul. This book is going to help save a lot of people. Nobody tells a story like Kevin Wells--nobody."" -- Matthew Leonard, Founder, Science of Sainthood ""From the very first line of The Hermit, Kevin plunges readers into a story that will linger for years. Readers are immersed in a supernatural embrace that is unforgettable.' -- Dan Burke, President, Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation ""A modern tale of pain, redemption, and gospel yeast, set in the shadow of the devastation that COVID wrought. It illustrates the tremendous power that a little leaven of faith yields when a priest of Jesus Christ mixes it in."" -- Bishop Joseph Strickland ""Wells powerfully weaves together his own family's beautiful true story of two state-of-life sacraments: Matrimony and Holy Orders. Two sacred, intertwined spiritual battles unveil the fullness of what Love requires: the mystery of redemptive suffering."" -- Leila Miller, author, Made This Way and Impossible Marriages Redeemed ""Many books explain how the spiritual life is pursued in priesthood or religious life, but very few show how it is pursued in married life. This is the best that I have ever read."" -- David Torkington, Author, How to Pray and Wisdom from the Christian Mystics ""Profound and beautiful storytelling. Wells testifies to God's activity in his own family and in the world--full of wounds and brokenness, but overpoured with the healing mercy of the Divine Physician."" -- Eric Sammons, Editor in Chief, Crisis Magazine

"""A harrowing, utterly candid account of a married Catholic couple struggling with the bondage of addiction, as well as a biopsy of a Church and a nation afflicted with moral confusion, fears, hatreds, and seemingly irresolvable conflicts. The author teaches us numerous ways to personally resist the devil and grow in love and peace. This phenomenal story should be read by every shepherd of souls--indeed by all those who seek to follow Jesus wholeheartedly."" --Michael D. O'Brien, Author, Father Elijah: An Apocalypse ""A work of courage and humility. This story, which is difficult to tell, will help countless souls who have been lost in alcohol and drug abuse. It is also a powerful story of how one priest, trusting in God's grace, can move mountains to bring souls back to Christ."" --Sr. Deirdre M. Byrne, P.O.S.C., Superior, Little Workers of the Sacred Heart ""In this deeply personal tale, the power of God's grace is made manifest in a holy priest who abandons himself totally to God. With profound and beautiful storytelling, Wells testifies to God's activity in his own family and in the world--full of wounds and brokenness, but overpoured with the healing mercy of the Divine Physician. Do not read this book if you don't want your life forever changed."" --Eric Sammons, Editor in Chief, Crisis Magazine ""Many books speak to me. This one moved me. Kevin Wells has written a gripping story of redemption meant not for paper, but for your soul. This book is going to help save a lot of people. Nobody tells a story like Kevin Wells--nobody."" --Matthew Leonard, Founder, Science of Sainthood"

Author Information

Kevin Wells is a former Major League Baseball writer, award-winning journalist, and Catholic speaker. He is the author of Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz (Ignatius Press) and the bestselling The Priests We Need to Save the Church and Burst. Kevin is an active evangelist, writer, and podcaster (One 2 One Podcast) who has presented at conferences and seminaries nationally and internationally. He lives in Maryland with his wife and children.

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