Acts of God

Following the death of her parents at the hands of Mayapan dictator Quinteros de Buiztas, young Camila dos Santos is sent to America. Her grave, luminous beauty and charm drawn an odd collection of exiles to her side: tortured, idealistic Father Battiste Tommassi; Porfirio Cheruna, a poet and roue; and Ferdinando Lorca, feral, attractive and intent on overthrowing Buiztas. Lorca's dream is realized when his hasty marriage to Camila brings financial backing of an ugly but necessary type. Yet in Mayapan's jungles and cities, it is Camila who binds people to Lorca's cause, burning bright as they sweep the capital and create a mythic kingdom, which ultimately crumbles as the inevitable compromises destroy Lorca's soul and his revolution alike. Camila's own power continues to grow, while her personal strength wanes. With her death, Lorca descends further into cruelty, until the priest who loved him and Camila most arranges his assassination. The plot devices used by Park stretch credulity at times, but the fevered grace of this first novel and its sensuous descriptions capture the imagination. Foreign rights: Morrow. February 26