Alter Ego: A Tale

A progressive minister battles to unite a fractured Canadian congregation in this forgotten early 20th century novel. Rev. Thomas Melvin preaches a gospel of radical inclusion to immigrants and longtime parishioners alike, but his vision of unity faces constant assault: from moral corruption within the church walls, from denominational prejudice, from the grinding weight of a community that would rather cling to its divisions. When Leonard Devoau returns from the Russo-Japanese War, carrying hard-won wisdom about duty and humanity, Melvin sees in the young soldier the heir his movement needs. What follows is a meditation on legacy, on what it means to pass the torch of conviction to another generation, and on whether love can truly conquer the inertia of tradition. Walker writes with quiet moral urgency, his prose suffused with the hope that a church might actually become what it professes to be.