Publisher's Weekly
In this literate dark fantasy from Hemmingson (House of Dreams), Rosina, a poor girl living in California in 1910, discovers that she has the power to heal the lame and resurrect the dead. Her cousin Pablo stands by helplessly as things immediately begin to go wrong. Everyone wants a piece of Rosina-the townspeople begging to be cured; the local priest, who forbids her to heal except in his presence; the U.S. government, which attempts to take her away for testing. Then there's Father O'Hannon, the priest sent by the Vatican to evaluate Rosina's talent. A man of uncertain faith, he becomes obsessed with the girl, leaves the church and marries her mother in order to gain control of her. After O'Hannon teams up with a sordid tent-show revivalist to market Rosina's powers and Pablo discovers that the relationship between his barely pubescent cousin and the ex-priest has turned sexual, the boy leaves. The narrative then focuses on Pablo's attempt to find his prostitute mother and, later, his adventures in France during WWI. Eventually, Pablo returns to America to look for his cousin and discover his own magical destiny. This rather grim tale is a tad predictable, but it's beautifully written, nicely understated and shows a fine sense of its time period. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.