In this novel the stories that make up the eight primary books of the novel are as independent as short stories. The connections between the characters weave the tale more tightly and yet, even as a devoted fan of the character based novel I can accept the final challenge as part of the story without doubting the whole.

This is the beauty of Mascarenhas’ novel.

It is the magic realism that pervades the unfolding tale, regressing through history to fill out the past lives of the vibrant characters, Lily- the pregnant wife suffering from childhood trauma, Luz, her jealous compatriot, Ishmael, her freedom singing father, Consuelo, her magically captivating mother, Ephraim, the engaging boy prophet, and a host of other deepening relationships that flesh out the life of Lily’s birth story.