Novels offer good autumn reading

“The Lady in Blue” by Javier Sierra. Atria Books (New York, 2007). 352 pp., $25.95. “Joshua’s Family” by Joseph Girzone. Doubleday (New York, 2007). 217 pp., $19.95.

Reviewed by Peggy Weber

Catholic News Service

Two recent releases will create some good reading experiences.

“The Lady in Blue” by Javier Sierra offers an intriguing story that spans centuries, countries and cultures. It focuses on Maria Jesus de Agreda, a 17th-century nun from Spain who had the gift of bilocation. She was accused by the Inquisition of traveling 6,000 miles to New Mexico to preach to the natives there.

Her story is seen through many different viewpoints -- a journalist, a retired psychic with connections to the military, and several priests and religious people.

The story switches from different scenes with ease. And once the reader catches the rhythm of the story, then the fun begins.

The conclusion is both dramatic and thought-provoking. It makes one consider ideas about the miraculous, the possibility of time travel, and secret research and documents.

His Web site, www.theladyinblue.net, notes that he has “visited more than 20 countries, probing their mysteries. Egypt is the country he is most familiar with, having traveled there numerous times. During his research in Turkey, he sought -- and found -- the controversial map of Piri Reis, a document offering definitive proof that Christopher Columbus arrived in America thanks to previous navigational charts made prior to 1492, which already reflected the New World in their routes.”

He offers an interesting take on religion, history and what is possible.

“Joshua’s Family” by Father Joseph Girzone, a retired priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., also offers an interesting viewpoint on faith. The book is a prequel to the 1995 best-seller “Joshua,” which portrayed a quiet and unassuming man who changed the lives of his small-town neighbors.

This book offers a view of Joshua, who is clearly a Jesus figure, as a young boy. In the book he is beginning to uncover how he is different from others.

It’s hard to believe that a small town has a significant drug problem in the middle school. And one is left with some practical considerations about Joshua’s family and if they have health insurance and why they lead such a nomadic life.

Still, the book is sweet. The language is simple and inspiring. For example, when Joshua advises his friend to pray he says, “He (God) always listens, especially to prayers that come from a broken heart.”

Joshua also shows a good attitude toward life in general when he tells his mother, “I think life is so full of adventure. We just have to look for it and notice it. I do have a lot of fun just watching things happen. There is always so much excitement going on. It’s hard not to become involved.”

It’s hard not to like the character of Joshua in this book. It could be read easily by children and teens. It makes one think that living a Christian life is possible even if it is countercultural.