Come Rack! Come Rope!

Come Rack! Come Rope! is a gripping historical novel by Robert Hugh Benson, an English priest and writer who transitioned from Anglicanism to Catholicism. Set against the backdrop of the Elizabethan persecution of Catholics in Derbyshire, the story follows two young lovers who, faced with the grim reality of imprisonment and martyrdom, choose to sacrifice their chance for happiness together to fulfill Gods will. Written nearly nine years after Bensons own conversion, the novel draws inspiration from Dom Bede Camms account of the Fitzherbert family in Forgotten Shrines (1910) and from Bensons poignant visit to Padley, the Fitzherberts home, in 1911. The books title is derived from a letter by Saint Edmund Campion, who, despite enduring torture, reassured Catholics of his resolve, stating he had revealed no things of secret, nor would he, come rack, come rope. Most characters are based on historical figures, with only the main couple, their parents, and a few minor characters being fictional. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia)