Five generations of the Corey family are overseen by the ominous Nick Harrison, who tells the stories of Maggie, Janet, Tiffany, and two others at pivotal moments when their lives hang in the balance. Reprint.
From Publishers Weekly
Reading more like a loosely connected set of short stories than a novel, Kerr's latest opens in the heart of the Haight-Ashbury drug scene of the late 1960s and follows the women of one family for five generations. Each woman is presented during a moment of crisis in which she encounters the forces of evil in the form of Nick Harrison?the Devil himself?and those of good in the more subtle character of Rabbi Akiba. The narrative also includes a coup by the religious right and aliens from outer space who convert to Catholicism. Despite the disjointed plotting and some stylistic unevenness, parts of this tale are delightful, especially the penultimate?and longest?chapter, which concerns Tiffany Margaret Owens, a warm and thoughtful character who deals with her own recovery from a war injury that killed her twice and with the choice of which alternate future to live in. This launches a new series from Kerr (the Deverry series, including Days of Air and Darkness). Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The latest from the author of the excellent and popular Deverry series is the first volume in a family saga set on the borderline between sf and fantasy. It deals with Maggie Cory and the ups and downs of her and her descendants through five generations in an alternative San Francisco in which the 1960s were the prelude to a revolution. The plot is a loose variation of the Faust legend, with Maggie in the role of Marguerite, the sinister Nick Harrison as Mephistopheles, and a Rabbi Akiba opposing Harrison. The novel has more northern California literary flavor than Kerr's previous work, but it also features most of her superior skills at characterization, world building, and graceful language. It may help her start picking up a nonfantasy readership, which she deserves. Roland Green
Description:
Five generations of the Corey family are overseen by the ominous Nick Harrison, who tells the stories of Maggie, Janet, Tiffany, and two others at pivotal moments when their lives hang in the balance. Reprint.
From Publishers Weekly
Reading more like a loosely connected set of short stories than a novel, Kerr's latest opens in the heart of the Haight-Ashbury drug scene of the late 1960s and follows the women of one family for five generations. Each woman is presented during a moment of crisis in which she encounters the forces of evil in the form of Nick Harrison?the Devil himself?and those of good in the more subtle character of Rabbi Akiba. The narrative also includes a coup by the religious right and aliens from outer space who convert to Catholicism. Despite the disjointed plotting and some stylistic unevenness, parts of this tale are delightful, especially the penultimate?and longest?chapter, which concerns Tiffany Margaret Owens, a warm and thoughtful character who deals with her own recovery from a war injury that killed her twice and with the choice of which alternate future to live in. This launches a new series from Kerr (the Deverry series, including Days of Air and Darkness).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The latest from the author of the excellent and popular Deverry series is the first volume in a family saga set on the borderline between sf and fantasy. It deals with Maggie Cory and the ups and downs of her and her descendants through five generations in an alternative San Francisco in which the 1960s were the prelude to a revolution. The plot is a loose variation of the Faust legend, with Maggie in the role of Marguerite, the sinister Nick Harrison as Mephistopheles, and a Rabbi Akiba opposing Harrison. The novel has more northern California literary flavor than Kerr's previous work, but it also features most of her superior skills at characterization, world building, and graceful language. It may help her start picking up a nonfantasy readership, which she deserves. Roland Green