THE MIRACLE STEALER

Can religious fervor spur economic development? And should it? Three years ago, the citizens of the small town of Paradise, Penn., witnessed a miracle—or at least they chose to believe they did—when three-year-old Daniel was pulled from a collapsed well after being trapped for three days. Following Daniel’s rescue, cancers were cured, adoptions approved and babies conceived—all miracles attributed to Daniel. Fast-forwarding three years, Paradise has fallen on harsh times, and Daniel is called to pray at the bedside of a pregnant woman with a history of difficulties. A baby named Miracle is born, and news of the birth spreads across the country, attracting pilgrims seeking Daniel’s intercession to Paradise. At this story’s core is Daniel’s teenage sister, Andi, the clear-voiced narrator who is determined to protect Daniel from the pilgrims’ fanaticism, and those in the town hoping to benefit from his fame. A thought-provoking examination of the power of faith and the human desire for a savior. (Fiction. 12 & up)