Francis Chisholm is a compassionate and humble priest whose vocation emerged from a crucible of suffering. His parents were murdered in anti-Catholic riots in Scotland, his guardians mistreat him, and his sweetheart commits suicide. He is sent to China where he establishes a flourishing Catholic mission amid desperate poverty, civil war, plague, and the hostility of his superiors. Recognized as A.J. Cronin's best novel, The Keys of the Kingdom is a gripping and thoughtful tale of a man called to do good in an imperfect world.