The Ultimate Intimacy

When a beautiful married woman walks into Pastor Daniel Vedra's life and conjures up memories of his first wife, Jitka, he struggles with the chaos the affair creates for his wife, his children, his vocation, and his future.

With the brilliance and humanity that have made him a major figure in world literature, Ivan Klma, in The Ultimate Intimacy (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year), explores the universal themes of love, adultery, and faith. Pastor Daniel Vedra cares for his family and his congregation, ministers to prisoners, and is a sought-after commentator on the rapidly changing society of the Czech Republic. But when a beautiful stranger comes to hear him preach, Daniel soon finds himself falling in love with another man's wife. As his heart stirs, the order that once underpinned Daniel's life begins to unravel. And as a result, he stands to betray everything he has lived for: his family, his vocation, and his God.

"His best work yet."-Newsweek

"Suspense fiction of the highest order, The Ultimate Intimacy belongs on the shelf beside Graham Greene's The End of the Affair. It is a compelling examination of the different kinds of love. . . . This is a book charged with a quiet yet urgent wisdom."-The Boston Globe

"At his best, he articulates how philosophical arguments are exemplified by human lives. . . . The Ultimate Intimacy is an absorbing account of people seeking faith in an age of faithlessness."-Los Angeles Times Book Review

Ivan Klma was born in Prague in 1931, where he still resides. He is the author of Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light-New York Times Notable Book of the Year and one of Publisher Weekly's Best Books of 1995. He is the author of several other books including A Ship Named Hope, Love and Garbage, and Judge on Trial.