 | |
| Author | Thomas Keneally |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Chatto and Windus |
Publication date | 1988 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 306 pp. |
| Preceded by | The Playmaker |
| Followed by | By the Line |
Act of Grace (1988) is a novel by Australian writer Thomas Keneally, published under the pseudonym "William Coyle". It was originally published by Chatto and Windus in the UK in 1988. [1] It is also known by the title Firestorm.
The novel follows two different storylines: the first concerns an Australian tail-gunner flying in a Lancaster bomber over Germany during World War II; the second features his sister who has entered a convent and who is troubled by an overly attentive priest.
Writing in The Canberra Times reviewer Mark Thomas noted that the novel was "worthy" but ended with the statement: "The parallel stories are neatly woven, the scenes are adeptly sketched, but the book never gains momentum or drama." [2]
After its original publication in 1988 in the UK by publisher Chatto and Windus [3] the novel was later published by William Morrow, in USA, in 1989 under the title Firestorm. [1] Several paperback editions followed.