This Widowed Land

The coauthor of the Prehistoric America series ( People of the River ) pens an absorbing if uneven tale about Jesuit missionaries who set their single, jealous god against the animal spirit guides and gods worshiped by the Huron Indians. Gear develops harsh, powerful descriptions of 17th-century Quebec, replete with blowing snow, starvation, the war cries of enemy Iroquois and a plague that, ironically, spreads along with the Jesuits' gospel. Sadly, the three Black Robes who anchor the plot--saintly, simple Phillipe; foppish whiner Luc; and steely Marc, tormented by love for Huron visonary Andiora--are static and two-dimensional. On the other hand, their leader, Jean de Brebeuf, a historical figure, has sufficient quirks and contradictions to make him seem genuine. Several others stand out, too: a blunt, roisterous French trader, an envious Huron shaman , and gritty young Onrea, who survives horrific ordeals. Gear is better at research than at imaginative writing; her use of period detail breathes life into daily events at the Huron village, and her depictions of cannibalistic torture are chilling. (Mar.)