Ghost Country

This is a very well-written urban fantasy. (It's not remotely horror, by the way).It's not a mystery. It's about a Goddess returning into urban American life, and the chaos that ensues.As a reader familiar with SFF, I found this story original, well-written, well-characterized and engaging. It draws the reader in and offers both intellectual and emotional interest.Paretsky fans who are able to step beyond the familiar mystery milieu, and who aren't afraid of a little sensuality, have a treat to read here--and I don't hesitate to recommend the book to anyone.

I had no idea what to expect from this book when I started it, only knowing that it wasn't a V.I. story. I was doubtful at first but as I read on I became more and more enchanted. It is not a plumbing of the psychological depths of various realistic characters, but clearly it was not meant to be. Instead it is a kind of morality play for our time, done so skillfully that the story grips the reader and won't let go. Some of the characters are almost caricatures, rather like people in a very old allegory, and the story itself is full of wonderful allusions and layers of meaning--for example, the doctor's name, and that of the catalyst character, Starr. In the end I went away feeling very satisfied and somehow like I had added another layer to my own character. It's like reading a combination of the ancient "Descent of Inanna" and a modern thriller.

I wasn't sure I would like a book by Sara Paretsky that wasn't about V I Warshawski, but Ghost Country is an absolutely wonderful novel. It deals with some of the toughest issues of our times, including the way in which religion is used as a cloak for mean-spirited of public policy making. The characters are so vivid and believable I was sorry to have to bid them good-bye. I especially liked the character Starr, who never speaks and acts as kind of a foil for the wishes and fears of the people around her. You can interpret her as a psychotic street person, or as a manifestation of the divine, depending on the biases you bring to the novel. I miss V I, but I hope Paretsky writes many more books as deep and challenging as this one.

I am a great fan of the Paretsky not only for what she has written in book form, but for what she has done for mystery writers in general. I was pleased to see that she has taken a break from V.I. to try her hand at a more serious novel. Her talent shines, and this book shows that she can contribute in a lasting way to American literature. Perhaps more V.I.'s and more Ghost Country's are one the way. Hope so.

Sara Paretsky's "Ghost Country" is one of those rare novels that enables one to reexamine their lives and look at the world in, perhaps, a different manner. Simply stated: this is a novel readers beg and hope for. Using the streets of Chicago's homeless as a backdrop for her novel, Ms. Paretsky tells the story of 3 women troubled by their past searching to find their existance for the future. Each, should we say, have lived in the real world before ending up homeless and it is one woman who claims to have seen the Virgin Mary's blood seeping through a wall below a hotel which begins to arouse controversy not only for the homeless but for the city as well. It is not until a mysterious woman, known as Starr, appears who eventually begins the process of changing these women's lives as well as the nation. In Starr, Ms. Paretsky has created a Jesus-like character - Starr's presence creates a "star" of light in an otherwise dark enviorment. She seems to create miracles and, as in the Bible, their are believers and non-believers. Her life appears to be as a prophet as her teachings enable these woman to look at themselves and heal. The world of Opera, homelessness and the Bible are richly displayed here and, when all woven together, create an image that perhaps God intended. "Ghost Country" allows us to reach deep inside and bring to the surface the spirituality we so often forget. Ms. Paretsky's writing is impressive - it is rich, complex and, most of all, remarkable. I am reminded of Joyce Carol Oates who writes under the pseudonym of Rosamande Smith. As Ms. Smith she writes mysterious thrillers illustrating a departure from her complex narratives as Ms. Oates; thus, allowing us to see two different sides of this prolific writer. Perhaps Ms. Paretsky has also evolved showing us that their is more than the mysteries she has written. One can only hope that Ms. Paretsky will continue to write novels of this magnitude.