Percy Brandreth Smith is an ordinary young clerk in the City of London, with a modest salary, a dull desk and vague dreams of wealth and romance. Through his friend Reggie, a quiet convert, Percy finds himself drawn toward the Catholic Church. For the first time in his life the world changes, and under Father Hilary’s guidance he looks forward to being received into the Faith at Easter. Then an unexpected inheritance makes him master of a country estate and opens the doors of high society. Percy must decide what the Faith is really worth to him. His story runs alongside that of Mr. Main, a humble Anglican vicar wrestling with the same question, who is prepared to give up everything for the truth.

Written in 1913 by Robert Hugh Benson, author of Lord of the World and Come Rack! Come Rope!, An Average Man is one of his most searching and honest novels. With gentle humor, sharp observation and deep spiritual insight, Benson shows how worldly success can quietly smother a soul’s vocation, and how true riches are often found where the world least expects them. This Glorious Heritage Books edition is newly typeset for easy reading and faithfully preserves Benson’s original text, with only minor spelling and punctuation corrections. It is a thought-provoking read for Catholic readers, book clubs, and anyone who has ever felt the pull between comfort and conviction.