<DIV><B>“To believe or not to believe--that is the question facing all who are touched by the comatose ‘miracle girl’ at the swirling center of Andrew Roe’s dazzling debut. But more than an exploration of the mysteries of faith, it’s also the unforgettable story of one family’s struggle against tragedy. The result is an uplifting miracle of a book.” —Will Allison, author of <I>Long Drive Home</I></B><BR /><BR /> The crowds keep coming. More and more every day it seems . . . drawn by rumor and whisper and desperate wish. Somehow they heard about the little girl on Shaker Street.” They come to see eight-year-old Anabelle Vincent, who lies in a comalike state--unable to move or speak. They come because a visitor experienced what seemed like a miracle and believed it was because of Anabelle. Word spread. There were more visitors. More miracles. But is there a connection? And does it matter?<BR /><BR /> Set against the backdrop of the approaching millennium--with all its buzz about reckoning and doom--this impressive debut novel is narrated by Anabelle herself; by her devoted mother, who cares for her child while struggling to make sense of the media frenzy surrounding her; by Anabelle’s estranged father, who is dealing with the guilt of his actions; and by the people who come seeking the child’s help, her guidance, and her healing. Yet it tells a larger cultural story about the human yearning for the miraculous to be true, about how becoming a believer--in something, anything, even if you don’t understand it--can sustain you. <BR /><BR /> “In <I>The Miracle Girl,</I> we’re reminded that the desire for miracles always connotes dissatisfaction, even as it articulates a hope. Roe deftly explores this paradox . . . [and] examines the strange responsibility of being believed in. A stunning, confident debut.” —Peter Rock, author of <I>The Shelter Cycle</I><BR /><BR /> “An incisive and insightful critique of America, investigating where we put our faith and why . . . It’s a novel about what it means to be human, to be lost or broken, a little or a lot, and to seek connection and hope and maybe even transcendence in the world around us.” —Doug Dorst, author of <I>S.</I> and <I>Alive in Necropolis</I><BR /></DIV>