In this follow-up to his successful debut novel, The GoodLife, Scribner focuses on the commercialism of religious fervor. In the dying industrial town of Hudson City, NY, a deaf Vietnamese American Girl named Sue Phong begins appearing in people’s dreams and healing their ailments. As the media pick up the story, throngs of worshipers flock into the city, creating a financial boom. The impact of these miracles on the residents of Hudson City is narrated by John Quinn, a space planner for the Catholic Church, who has been taking bribes from a sleazy developer named Buddy Jensen. As it becomes more and more likely that Hudson City will grow into a commercial healing site, Quinn finds himself trapped between the money and power around him and the disillusionment in his personal life. He discovers that “people who don’t have faith in anything don’t have miracles.” It is only when Quinn decides to help Sue Phong escape from the city and destroy the growing commercialism that he finds a cure for his own failings. This is a well-crafted story with real characters and an astute insight into the lack of principles in our contemporary culture. Clearly, Scribner is a writer to watch. Highly recommended.-David A. Beron, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham

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