Rose of Heaven — Michael Hemmingson

The Rose of Heaven is a tale of the abuse of and desire for power, and the many ways we human beings inflict violence on our fellow creatures. The year is 1910. In a devout Catholic community in California, a young girl, Rosina, exhibits a tendency for miracles--the ability to heal and bring the dead back to life. Some worship and adore her. Others fear and wish to kill her. And others, like a priest sent by the Vatican and a few opportunistic government operatives, harbor dreadful designs on her phenomenal powers. . . The witness to these extraordinary events during the years that follow--the narrator of this story--is Rosina's cousin, Pablo. But when Pablo is separated from Rosina and joins the Canadian Army to fight in World War I, he knows he must stay alive and reunite with his cousin . . .and save her from the men who crave to profit from her gift and covet her Divine Touch.