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**A young man struggles to reconcile God, faith, and sex as he stumbles toward finding himself in this “brave and irreverent” (*Details*) memoir.** Since childhood, David Schickler has been torn between his intense desire to become a Catholic priest and his equally fervent desire for the company of women. Things don’t get any clearer for Schickler at college, where he initiates serious conversations about becoming a Jesuit just as he enters a passionate relationship with a vivacious, agnostic young woman. Setting out on a journey to understand the balance between a life of faith and life in the real world, Schickler comes to terms with this dichotomy and learns that the answers he seeks aren’t clear-cut—no matter how long he treads the dark path. Candid and funny, lyrical and blunt, *The Dark Path* is an evocative portrayal of one man’s struggle with faith and women . . . both of which he tries to love with bold, bracing honesty. ** ### From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. It&'s no surprise when Schickler (Kissing in Manhattan) recounts his inner revelation— You&'ll never be a priest—halfway through this memoir about his years in discernment, weighing whether to pursue the life of a Catholic priest or simply to pursue beautiful women. Yet Schickler&'s raw truth narrative—which leaves no story untold, from poignant conversations with his hardy father to kinky behavior with a hotel concierge—never fails to keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat. His seamless weaving of storytelling, dialogue, and thoughts—funny one second and heart-wrenching the next—makes this journey of belief and nonbelief unforgettable and enjoyable. Here&'s what else is bullshit, Lack-of-God. It&'s bullshit that priests always told me that celibate priesthood is Something Higher, Schickler laments one evening. This tale contains equal amounts of irreverence and holiness, and their combination makes the narrative pure. Agent: Jennifer Carlson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Sept.) ### From Booklist Since he was a young boy, Schickler (Kissing in Manhattan, 2001) grappled with twin desires, to become a Catholic priest and to revel in the company of women. Raised in a staunch Catholic family in upstate New York, he first sensed God along “the dark path” that meandered through the woods behind his house. He posed many questions to Him/Her, often about the women he was dating. “Dear God, will (insert current girlfriend’s name here) be my wife?” Schickler’s conflict of conscience intensified in college, where he engaged in serious inquiry about becoming a Jesuit, all the while dating women with various degrees of faith. After graduation, he took a job teaching at a prep school in Vermont, where a troubled student and crippling leg pain only added to his malaise. He began seeing a psychiatrist but long resisted taking his prescribed antidepressants. As time went on, Schickler wondered if he would ever find the path, dark or light, that would be right for him. Full of pathos and humor, Schickler’s memoir explores just what it means to feel love and have faith. --Allison Block