Taylor Caldwell begins Testimony of Two Men where more usual novels would have ended: Dr. Jonathan Ferrier has been acquitted of the murder-by-botched-abortion of his young wife, Mavis.
Unable to live among people who doubted his innocence, Jon has sold his practice to young Robert Morgan, who, of candidates Jon interviewed, seemed least likely to do harm.
Robert feels something akin to awe of Jon, for his culture as much as for his brilliant medical skill.
Jon finds Robert’s conventional, mamma’s boy behavior amusing.
Jon’s brother, Harald, made a marriage of convenience to a rich widow. She’s dead; Harald is living on an island with her nubile daughter, whom he wishes to marry.
When Robert sees Jenny, he’d like to marry her, too.
Jon thinks Jenny is a whore and Harald one of her sex partners.
Taylor Caldwell makes the novel part mystery, part romance, but always keeps her focus on the psychological development of her characters.
Jon’s insulting manner with people he thinks cruel, incompetent, or corrupt make him his own worst enemy.
Fortunately, he has some good friends who come to his rescue.
Caldwell wraps up the novel with enough of Jon’s hostility showing to prove she’s a good novelist.
Testimony of Two Men by Taylor Caldwell
Doubleday, 1968, Book Club Edition, 600 pp. My grade: A-.
© 2017 Linda Gorton Aragoni
Great Penformances 
Love Taylor Caldwwell. Especially Captains and Kings
LikeLike
I was an avid reader of Caldwell during my teens. Prologue to Love was my favorite. I’ve still got my copy. I ought to read it again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe I’ll try that one. She was such a big “star” in the 70s when I was a teenager.
LikeLike
Have you seen the TV series? It was good as well. I love Taylor Caldwell too, but I think that one or tw of the children in this book were supposed to be completely evil. I remember thinking that that seemed a bit over the top!
LikeLike
I haven’t seen the TV series. Truth to tell, I can’t remember much about the novel now, except that the main character had an obnoxious personality. I just reread Captains and Kings for review early in 2018. I really enjoyed it.
LikeLike