An absorbing paranormal novel
Stella is pretty relaxed about her gift of second sight, but her happy-go-lucky attitude to her gift screeches to a halt when Siri, her twelve-year-old daughter, is savagely murdered and Stella can find her daughter nowhere, in this world or the next. Then, in the old French town of Agde, she meets Louis, a clever, mysterious man, and a young boy who is always near him. These two lead her to a new place and a time where her search for Siri takes on a new meaning.
July 1, 2011
In this eerie, atmospheric paranormal novel, Robertson deftly intertwines two time periods, slowly absorbing one into the other through her remarkably likable protagonist. Although current-day syndicated British horoscope writer Stella sees dead people, she can't see her young daughter, who was brutally murdered, and Stella desperately needs closure. In 301 CE, young Tib, a healer, and his Corinthian mentor, Modeste, spread their belief in the newly organizing Christian religion and become Roman targets in Gaul. When Stella's long-suffering husband takes her to France and they rent what was Tib's home, Stella sees the boy and Modeste around town. After Starr's husband returns to Britain and his job, leaving Stella alone, she finds herself in Roman times, a companion to Tib and Modeste as they tangle with the emperor, his wife, and the old religion. Robertson's meticulous details about the Roman era and early Christians come to life in this tale exploring time, souls, and love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)