Fall From Grace is perhaps Andrew Greeley's most overt novel of social concern. It grew out of two years of reading about, reflecting upon and writing newspaper columns concerning the topics of battered women and pedophilia. The novel also touches upon the social concerns of homosexuality and satanic cults which ritualistically abuse children. While generally given favorable reviews, Fall From Grace was faulted by some for what was seen as a degeneration into melodrama, perhaps the result of Greeley's attempt to use fiction to dramatize social concerns documented by what he knew to be important primary sources which the general public might never read. The novel is dedicated to the man who delved into the psychology of pedophilia; Greeley's effort is an attempt to dramatize that research for a wider reading audience.

The primary plot of Fall From Grace concerns the story of Kathleen Leary Donahue...