A.J. Cronin Bestsellers: The Citadel, The Stars Look Down, and The Keys of the Kingdom

From Scottish author A.J. Cronin comes a collection of some of his
best-selling novels.

The Citadel
follows the life of Andrew Manson, a young and idealistic Scottish doctor,
as he navigates the challenges of practicing medicine across interwar Wales
and England. Based on Cronin's own experiences as a physician, The Citadel boldly confronts traditional medical ethics, and has
been noted as one of the inspirations for the formation of the National
Health Service.

The Stars Look Down
tells the story of a North Country mining community as its inhabitants make
their way through the various social and political challenges of the early
20th century. Digging into workers' rights, social change, and the
relationship between labor and capitalism, the struggles of the novel's
trifecta of protagonists--politically minded miner David Fenwick, ambitious
drifter Joe Gowlan, and frustrated yet meek mining-baron's son Arthur
Barras--remain compelling and relevant to readers in the 21st century.

The Keys of the Kingdom
tells the story of a man with great courage and conviction, a man unafraid
to stand up for what is right. Francis Chisholm--a
kindhearted and straightforward Scottish priest--walks a path all his own,
making him unpopular with other members of the clergy. Ostracized by the
clerical community and looked down on by his superiors, Chisholm takes a
position in China where he supervises a mission beset by poverty, civil
war, and plague. He encounters fierce resistance from the local Chinese who
distrust his motives, especially as they do not understand or condone his
faith. Despite enormous obstacles and temptations, Father Chisholm
continues to live in accordance with what he holds as the ultimate
truth--serving humanity is the one true religion of the world.