Michael O'Brien Books & Bio

Father Elijah: An Apocalypse by Michael O'Brien is a thrilling, fast-paced novel that takes readers into the world of an apocalyptic future, and explores the strengths and weaknesses of the contemporary religious scene and the state of the modern world.The protagonist in this suspenseful tale is Father Elijah Schafer, a Carmelite priest sent on a secret mission for the Vatican. He must navigate through crisis after crisis, all while trying to determine what effect his actions may have towards...

St. Luke addressed his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles to a man named Theophilos. Who was Theophilos? Scripture scholars do not know, making him a fit subject for Michael O'Brien's vivid imagination. In this fictional narrative, Theophilos is the skeptical but beloved adoptive father of St. Luke. Challenged by the startling account of the "Christos" received in the chronicle from his beloved son Luke and concerned for the newly zealous young man's fate, Theophilos, a Greek physician and a...

Island of the World is the story of a child born in 1933 into the turbulent world of the Balkans and tracing his life into the third millennium. The central character is Josip Lasta, the son of an impoverished school teacher in a remote village high in the mountains of the Bosnian interior. As the novel begins, World War II is underway and the entire region of Yugoslavia is torn by conflicting factions: German and Italian occupying armies, and the rebel forces that resist them--the fascist Us...

The Plaque Journal by Michael D. O'Brien This is Michael O'Brien's fourth novel in the Children of the Last Days series, the third book in a trilogy. The central character is Nathaniel Delaney, the editor of a small-town newspaper, who is about to face the greatest crisis of his life. As the novel begins, ominous events are taking place throughout North America, but little of it surfaces before the public eye. Set in the not-too-distant future, the story describes a nation that is quietly shi...

Eclipse of the Sun by Michael O'Brien tells the gripping story of a family caught in the grip of a totalitarian government. Set in a near future North American society that is infected with deceit and dysfunctional cultural norms, the Delaney's must grapple with their father's arrest by the Office of Internal Security. The fast-paced plot takes us on an emotional journey as the family struggles to remain faithful to the truth in order to overcome fear and dread. This reflective novel follows ...

Ethan McQuarry is a young lighthouse keeper on a tiny island, the rugged outcropping of easternmost Cape Breton Island on the Atlantic Ocean. A man without any family, he sees himself as a silent vigilant, performing his duties courageously year after year, with an admirable sense of responsibility. He cherishes his solitude and is grateful that his interactions with human beings are rare. Even so, he is haunted by his aloneness in the world and by a feeling that his life is meaningless. His ...

Set in present day Manhattan, The Fool of New York City is the tale of two souls who are considered to be fools and idiots in the eyes of most people they encounter. One is a literal giant, the other an amnesiac who believes he is the 17th century Spanish painter Francisco de Goya, hundreds of years old, aging more slowly than the rest of the human race. Billy the giant has also briefly suffered from amnesia years ago, and he understands the anguish of those who have lost their identity. He i...