Confessions

When Yuko Moriguchi's four-year-old daughter died in the middle school where she teaches, everyone thought it was a tragic accident. It's the last day of term, and Yuko's last day at work. She tells her students that she has resigned because of what happened - but not for the reasons they think. Her daughter didn't die in an accident. Her daughter was killed by two people in the class. And before she leaves, she has a lesson to teach... But revenge has a way of spinning out of control, and Yuko's last lecture is only the start of the story. In this bestselling Japanese thriller of love, despair and murder, everyone has a confession to make, and no one will escape unharmed.

'Give me chastity and continence, but not yet' The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting world-views. The Confessions , written when he was in his forties, recounts how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle to become one of Christianity's most influential thinkers. A remarkably honest spiritual autobiography, the Confessions also addresses fundamental issues of Christian doctrine, and many of the prayers and meditations it includes are still an integral part of the practice of the faith today. Translated with an Introduction by R. S. PINE-COFFIN

When Yuko Moriguchi's four-year-old daughter died in the middle school where she teaches, everyone thought it was a tragic accident. It's the last day of term, and Yuko's last day at work. She tells her students that she has resigned because of what happened - but not for the reasons they think. Her daughter didn't die in an accident. Her daughter was killed by two people in the class. And before she leaves, she has a lesson to teach... But revenge has a way of spinning out of control, and Yuko's last lecture is only the start of the story. In this bestselling Japanese thriller of love, despair and murder, everyone has a confession to make, and no one will escape unharmed.

'Give me chastity and continence, but not yet' The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting world-views. The Confessions , written when he was in his forties, recounts how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle to become one of Christianity's most influential thinkers. A remarkably honest spiritual autobiography, the Confessions also addresses fundamental issues of Christian doctrine, and many of the prayers and meditations it includes are still an integral part of the practice of the faith today. Translated with an Introduction by R. S. PINE-COFFIN

One of the great works of Western literature, from perhaps the most important thinker of Christian antiquity, in a revolutionary new translation by one of today's leading classicists Sarah Ruden's fresh, dynamic translation of Confessions brings us closer to Augustine's intent than any previous version. It puts a glaring spotlight on the life of one individual to show how all lives have meaning that is universal and eternal. In this intensely personal narrative, Augustine tells the story of his sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. He describes his ascent from a humble farm in North Africa to a prestigious post in the Roman Imperial capital of Milan, his struggle against his own overpowering sexuality, his renunciation of secular ambition and marriage, and the recovery of the faith his mother had taught him during his earliest years. Augustine's concerns are often strikingly contemporary, and the confessional mode he invented can be seen everywhere in writing today. Grounded in her command of Latin as it was written and spoken in the ancient world, Sarah Ruden's translation is a bold departure from its predecessors--and the most historically accurate translation ever. Stylistically beautiful, with no concessions made to suit later theology and ritual, Ruden's rendition will give readers a startling and illuminating new perspective on one of the central texts of Christianity. Praise for Confessions " Ruden] has clearly thought deeply about what Augustine was trying to say." -- The Wall Street Journal "A translation of Augustine's] masterwork that does justice both to him and to his God . . . Repeated small acts of attention to the humble, human roots of Augustine's imagery of his relations to God enable Ruden to convey a living sense of the Being before Whom we find him transfixed in prayer: 'Silent, long-suffering and with so much mercy in your heart.'" -- The New York Review of Books "Delightfully readable . . . In this lively translation filled with vivid, personal prose, Ruden introduces readers to a saint whom many will realize they only thought they knew. . . . Approaching her subject with deep religious and historical knowledge, Ruden] chooses to translate Augustine as a performative, engaging storyteller rather than a systematic theologian." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Ruden's translation makes Augustine's ancient text accessible to a new generation of readers with a real taste of the original Latin." -- Library Journal " Ruden's] record as a translator of ancient texts . . . clearly establishes her considerable talent." -- Christianity Today

One of the great works of Western literature, from perhaps the most important thinker of Christian antiquity, in a revolutionary new translation by one of today's leading classicists Sarah Ruden's fresh, dynamic translation of Confessions brings us closer to Augustine's intent than any previous version. It puts a glaring spotlight on the life of one individual to show how all lives have meaning that is universal and eternal. In this intensely personal narrative, Augustine tells the story of his sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. He describes his ascent from a humble farm in North Africa to a prestigious post in the Roman Imperial capital of Milan, his struggle against his own overpowering sexuality, his renunciation of secular ambition and marriage, and the recovery of the faith his mother had taught him during his earliest years. Augustine's concerns are often strikingly contemporary, and the confessional mode he invented can be seen everywhere in writing today. Grounded in her command of Latin as it was written and spoken in the ancient world, Sarah Ruden's translation is a bold departure from its predecessors--and the most historically accurate translation ever. Stylistically beautiful, with no concessions made to suit later theology and ritual, Ruden's rendition will give readers a startling and illuminating new perspective on one of the central texts of Christianity. Praise for Confessions " Ruden] has clearly thought deeply about what Augustine was trying to say." -- The Wall Street Journal "A translation of Augustine's] masterwork that does justice both to him and to his God . . . Repeated small acts of attention to the humble, human roots of Augustine's imagery of his relations to God enable Ruden to convey a living sense of the Being before Whom we find him transfixed in prayer: 'Silent, long-suffering and with so much mercy in your heart.'" -- The New York Review of Books "Delightfully readable . . . In this lively translation filled with vivid, personal prose, Ruden introduces readers to a saint whom many will realize they only thought they knew. . . . Approaching her subject with deep religious and historical knowledge, Ruden] chooses to translate Augustine as a performative, engaging storyteller rather than a systematic theologian." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Ruden's translation makes Augustine's ancient text accessible to a new generation of readers with a real taste of the original Latin." -- Library Journal " Ruden's] record as a translator of ancient texts . . . clearly establishes her considerable talent." -- Christianity Today

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2025* ‘A remarkable debut’ MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER, bestselling author of THE PAPER PALACE 'A cool, bold image of female pain and liberation' GUARDIAN It is late September in 2001 and the walls of New York are papered over with photos of the missing. Cora Brady’s father is there, the poster she made taped to columns and bridges. Her mother died long ago and now, orphaned on the cusp of adulthood, Cora is adrift and alone. Soon, a letter will arrive with the offer of a new life: far out on the ragged edge of Ireland, in the town where her parents were young, an estranged aunt can provide a home and fulfil a long-forgotten promise. There the story of Cora's family is hidden, and in her presence will begin to unspool… An essential, immersive debut from an astonishing new voice, Confessions traces the arc of three generations of women as they experience in their own time the irresistible gravity of the past: its love and tragedy, its mystery and redemption, and, in all things intended and accidental, the beauty and terrible shade of the things we do. 'An irresistible read' YAEL VAN DER WOUDEN, Booker-shortlisted author of THE SAFEKEEP 'Propulsive and utterly captivating . . . airey has shades of the American novelists Donna Tartt and Jeffrey Eugenides in her style' IRISH TIMES ' An intricately woven epic, Confessions is both intimate and expansive, a novel that teems with raw, hungry life' COLIN WALSH, author of KALA

Like the first Hackett edition of the Augustine's Confessions , the second edition features F. J. Sheed's remarkable translation of this classic spiritual autobiography with an Introduction by noted historian of late antiquity Peter Brown. New to this edition are a wealth of notes on literary, philosophical, biblical, historical, and liturgical topics by Michael P. Foley, an Editor's Preface, a map, a timeline, paragraph numbers in the text, a glossary, and a thorough index. The text itself has been completely reset, with textual and explanatory notes placed at the foot of the page for easy reference.

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2025* ‘A remarkable debut’ MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER, bestselling author of THE PAPER PALACE 'A cool, bold image of female pain and liberation' GUARDIAN It is late September in 2001 and the walls of New York are papered over with photos of the missing. Cora Brady’s father is there, the poster she made taped to columns and bridges. Her mother died long ago and now, orphaned on the cusp of adulthood, Cora is adrift and alone. Soon, a letter will arrive with the offer of a new life: far out on the ragged edge of Ireland, in the town where her parents were young, an estranged aunt can provide a home and fulfil a long-forgotten promise. There the story of Cora's family is hidden, and in her presence will begin to unspool… An essential, immersive debut from an astonishing new voice, Confessions traces the arc of three generations of women as they experience in their own time the irresistible gravity of the past: its love and tragedy, its mystery and redemption, and, in all things intended and accidental, the beauty and terrible shade of the things we do. 'An irresistible read' YAEL VAN DER WOUDEN, Booker-shortlisted author of THE SAFEKEEP 'Propulsive and utterly captivating . . . airey has shades of the American novelists Donna Tartt and Jeffrey Eugenides in her style' IRISH TIMES ' An intricately woven epic, Confessions is both intimate and expansive, a novel that teems with raw, hungry life' COLIN WALSH, author of KALA

Like the first Hackett edition of the Augustine's Confessions , the second edition features F. J. Sheed's remarkable translation of this classic spiritual autobiography with an Introduction by noted historian of late antiquity Peter Brown. New to this edition are a wealth of notes on literary, philosophical, biblical, historical, and liturgical topics by Michael P. Foley, an Editor's Preface, a map, a timeline, paragraph numbers in the text, a glossary, and a thorough index. The text itself has been completely reset, with textual and explanatory notes placed at the foot of the page for easy reference.

One of a major new Classics series - books that have changed the history of thought, in sumptuous, clothbound hardbacks. The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting faiths and world views. His Confessions, written when he was in his forties, recount how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle, to become instead a staunch advocate of Christianity and one of its most influential thinkers. A remarkably honest and revealing spiritual autobiography, the Confessions also address fundamental issues of Christian doctrine, and many of the prayers and meditations it includes are still an integral part of the practice of Christianity today.

In this international bestselling thriller, a former teacher delivers her final lesson to her students--including the two children that murdered her daughter. After calling off her engagement in the wake of a tragic revelation, Yuko Moriguchi had nothing to live for except her only child, four-year-old child, Manami. Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation. But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a diabolical plot for revenge. Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you'll never see coming, Confessions probes the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in danger. You'll never look at a classroom the same way again.

One of a major new Classics series - books that have changed the history of thought, in sumptuous, clothbound hardbacks. The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting faiths and world views. His Confessions, written when he was in his forties, recount how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle, to become instead a staunch advocate of Christianity and one of its most influential thinkers. A remarkably honest and revealing spiritual autobiography, the Confessions also address fundamental issues of Christian doctrine, and many of the prayers and meditations it includes are still an integral part of the practice of Christianity today.

In this international bestselling thriller, a former teacher delivers her final lesson to her students--including the two children that murdered her daughter. After calling off her engagement in the wake of a tragic revelation, Yuko Moriguchi had nothing to live for except her only child, four-year-old child, Manami. Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation. But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a diabolical plot for revenge. Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you'll never see coming, Confessions probes the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in danger. You'll never look at a classroom the same way again.