The Hermit: The Priest Who Saved a Soul, a Marriage, and a Family

In his raw and tender memoir, biographer Kevin Wells pulls readers into the unforgettable story of a parish priest turned hermit, Father Martin Flum, who orchestrated the slow resurrection of his wife, Krista, from the nightmare of her deep wounds and addiction.

In gripping fashion, Kevin tells the story of his family’s own long suffering, which culminated in the dark spring of 2020, as a strange fear pressed down upon the world and his wife spent most nights drinking away long-held shame. When a near-universal chorus of politicians, medical professionals, and Catholic clergy megaphoned the command to ＂isolate,＂ Kevin couldn’t imagine a more dooming word for his family, his marriage, and the life of his wife.

Yet God had other plans. Wells’ honest tale of inner crisis and hope-filled resurrection takes readers on a spiritual rollercoaster, offering a penetrating exploration of the sacramental grace of marriage and the mysterious movement of God in dry, lonely places.

In the journey from darkness to light, three lives--Krista, Kevin, and Father Flum--became forever entwined. It is a deeper kind of love story. The chapters on the fits and starts of renewal unfold like the piecemeal opening of a tomb. The Hermit is a true account of marital survival, a holy priest, redemption, and even the miraculous, where imprisoned shame and sin are transformed into the joy of freedom.

Kevin Wells is a former Major League Baseball writer, award-winning journalist, and the best-selling author of The Priests We Need to Save the Church. He is a freelance writer, active evangelist, and speaker, addressing various Catholic topics. He is the President of the Monsignor Thomas Wells Society, which is dedicated to the promotion of strong priests and seminarians, and to the practice of the fullness of the Catholic faith. His work with youth earned him the James Cardinal Hickey National Figure Award from the Archdiocese of Washington. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three children. He loves baseball, reading, and his backyard fire pit, especially with many friends gathered around, as they challenge one another to become living saints.