EPISODE · Jun 17, 2025 · 1H 3M
Sally Quinn — Silent Retreat - with Maureen Dowd
from Politics and Prose Presents · host Politics and Prose
When prize-winning reporter Sibylla Sumner checks into a monastery for a silent retreat, romance is the last thing on her mind. She plans to spend five meditative days surrounded by the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley – and apart from her famous husband and their crumbling marriage.James Fitzmaurice Kelly isn’t looking for romance either. He’s the Archbishop of Dublin, and has maintained a vow of celibacy for decades – even as he’s publicly questioned the church’s teachings.But as Sibylla and Fitz continue silently crossing paths, an undeniable charge builds between them, one that could see them abandoning their vows.In this sophisticated, sexy, and soulful love story, novelist Sally Quinn explores the boundary between flesh and spirit, restraint and ecstasy, and asks what we’re willing to sacrifice in the name of passion. PURCHASE BOOK HERE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9798891385528?ic_referral=Nql2E7LY07oq5mqPeYpHtYRqK5NCOEtePVlyC-gokjEwM7uyrsurw9QBhzTzVGIMJ0FHu546QAyEQBb2TuAjJlJukIxughYhmPDA6dIvwVv2crc9FUA22HUzVtXAfE8wJk38ovcSally Quinn is a longtime journalist at the Washington Post, a bestselling novelist, and a Washington DC insider. Her religion website “On Faith” ran in the Washington Post for seven years. She is the author of We’re Going to Make You A Star, Regrets Only, Happy Endings, The Party, and Finding Magic. She lives and works in Georgetown.Quinn is in conversation with Maureen Dowd. Dowd is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times, known for her sharp and incisive commentary on politics and culture. She is the author of three bestselling books: Bushworld, Are Men Necessary?, and The Year of Voting Dangerously. She lives in Washington, DC.*recorded 6/3/2025
What this episode covers
When prize-winning reporter Sibylla Sumner checks into a monastery for a silent retreat, romance is the last thing on her mind. She plans to spend five meditative days surrounded by the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley – and apart from her famous husband and their crumbling marriage.James Fitzmaurice Kelly isn’t looking for romance either. He’s the Archbishop of Dublin, and has maintained a vow of celibacy for decades – even as he’s publicly questioned the church’s teachings.But as Sibylla and Fitz continue silently crossing paths, an undeniable charge builds between them, one that could see them abandoning their vows.In this sophisticated, sexy, and soulful love story, novelist Sally Quinn explores the boundary between flesh and spirit, restraint and ecstasy, and asks what we’re willing to sacrifice in the name of passion. PURCHASE BOOK HERE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9798891385528?ic_referral=Nql2E7LY07oq5mqPeYpHtYRqK5NCOEtePVlyC-gokjEwM7uyrsurw9QBhzTzVGIMJ0FHu546QAyEQBb2TuAjJlJukIxughYhmPDA6dIvwVv2crc9FUA22HUzVtXAfE8wJk38ovcSally Quinn is a longtime journalist at the Washington Post, a bestselling novelist, and a Washington DC insider. Her religion website “On Faith” ran in the Washington Post for seven years. She is the author of We’re Going to Make You A Star, Regrets Only, Happy Endings, The Party, and Finding Magic. She lives and works in Georgetown.Quinn is in conversation with Maureen Dowd. Dowd is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times, known for her sharp and incisive commentary on politics and culture. She is the author of three bestselling books: Bushworld, Are Men Necessary?, and The Year of Voting Dangerously. She lives in Washington, DC.*recorded 6/3/2025
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Sally Quinn — Silent Retreat - with Maureen Dowd
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