A triumphant testament to the transcendent power of love and tribute to what being a stranger in a strange land truly means, Palwick's long-awaited second novel (after 1992's Flying in Place
) succeeds as a heart-wrenching romance, a sharp meditation on refugees and displaced persons and a tragicomedy of cultural differences. Palwick's exiles arrive in Reno, Nev., through a shimmering blue portal from another dimension—Lémabantunk, "Glorious City" of Gandiffri. Darroti-Frella Timbor, his father, brothers and their families have been banished to Earth by the judges of Gandiffri for killing Gallicina, a young Mendicant (or sacred beggar). After they become residents of a refugee camp, a depressed Darroti kills himself, and Lisa, a feisty American, helps them escape after a terrorist attack. In the years that follow, the family adapts with unsettling results as Darroti's ghost tries to reveal what really happened with Gallicina. A lyrical denouement and discovery that the gifts of self are "the most prized presents" of all conclude this outstanding fantasy novel. Agent, Kay McCauley. (Oct.)
