<DIV>Set in the small, sleepy town of Lulworth, Maryland, <i>The Encounter</i> is a gripping morality tale about ordinary people facing spiritual salvation -- and its opposite. Father Cawder dreams about the arrival of the carnival and the hubbub it will bring, but he cannot anticipate the heated tragedy of lovers Stella and Diamond, or the harsh judgment of his neighbor Mrs. Girard.<br><br> With characters that leap off the page and stay with you long after the final lines, <i>The Encounter</i> is a shattering Southern novel and a landmark work of literature, now back in print for a new audience.</div>