The Healer

Jonah Gray Wolf comes to a small Alaskan town as a toddler, carried by wolves; as he grows, he displays a remarkable ability to communicate with animals and to heal. When he heals millionaire Major Bourdain from a fatal wound, Bourdain becomes determined to bring Gray Wolf under his power so that he might live forever. He sends bounty hunters after the enigmatic healer, forcing Gray Wolf to stay on the move, ever a step ahead of his pursuers. The chase leads Gray Wolf to Little Top, W.Va., where he meets Lucia Andahar, a loner like him who is being tormented by a sadistic stalker. They fall in love and come to one another's aid almost immediately. When a spectacular rescue makes him media fodder, Gray Wolf is forced to make a stand to protect himself and the woman he loves. Veteran author Sala (Nine Lives , etc.) crafts two exciting leads bound by their love of animals and reluctance to trust people. (Apr.)