Childsong - by Barbara Wood (Paperback)

About the Book

From master storyteller Barbara Wood comes an engrossing suspense novel about a young girl caught between the possibilities of science and the mysteries of faith.

According to the doctors, seventeen-year-old Mary McFarland is pregnant. But Mary knows she is a virgin, despite her strange symptoms. In 1960s America, a woman's worst social disgrace is to become pregnant out of wedlock. A good Catholic high school girl, Mary suddenly finds herself at the center of a scandal, rejected and ostracized by family, friends, and even her priest. Although she believes emphatically in her own innocence, no one else believes the truth. When a doctor begins to wonder if Mary's claim to innocence could possibly be justified, he begins to investigate. The scientific theory he develops to explain her pregnancy is so bizarre and such a medical oddity that he knows the McFarland family, the church--and the world--will very likely refuse to accept it. But if he is right, what kind of child is Mary carrying? Mary and her family are suddenly trapped in a chilling conflict between the possibilities of science--and the mysteries of faith.

Book Synopsis

From master storyteller Barbara Wood comes an engrossing suspense novel about a young girl caught between the possibilities of science and the mysteries of faith.

According to the doctors, seventeen-year-old Mary McFarland is pregnant. But Mary knows she is a virgin, despite her strange symptoms. In 1960s America, a woman's worst social disgrace is to become pregnant out of wedlock. A good Catholic high school girl, Mary suddenly finds herself at the center of a scandal, rejected and ostracized by family, friends, and even her priest. Although she believes emphatically in her own innocence, no one else believes the truth. When a doctor begins to wonder if Mary's claim to innocence could possibly be justified, he begins to investigate. The scientific theory he develops to explain her pregnancy is so bizarre and such a medical oddity that he knows the McFarland family, the church--and the world--will very likely refuse to accept it. But if he is right, what kind of child is Mary carrying? Mary and her family are suddenly trapped in a chilling conflict between the possibilities of science--and the mysteries of faith.

From the Back Cover

According to the doctors, seventeen-year-old Mary McFarland is pregnant. But Mary knows she is a virgin, despite her strange symptoms. In 1960s America, a woman's worst social disgrace is to become pregnant out of wedlock. A good Catholic high school girl, Mary suddenly finds herself at the center of a scandal, rejected and ostracized by family, friends, and even her priest. Although she believes emphatically in her own innocence, no one else believes the truth. When a doctor begins to wonder if Mary's claim to innocence could possibly be justified, he begins to investigate. The scientific theory he develops to explain her pregnancy is so bizarre and such a medical oddity that he knows the McFarland family, the church--and the world--will very likely refuse to accept it. But if he is right, what kind of child is Mary carrying? Mary and her family are suddenly trapped in a chilling conflict between the possibilities of science--and the mysteries of faith.

Review Quotes

"A master storyteller. She never fails to leave the reader enthralled." --Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, author of A Woman of Independent Means

"An accomplished storyteller." --John Jakes, New York Times bestselling author

"Wood shows herself a wizard at juggling action and romance, maintaining the momentum and sparkle of both." --Kirkus Reviews

"Wood makes her fiction come alive with authentic detailing and highly memorable characters." --Booklist

"Barbara Wood is an entertainer." --Washington Post Book World

"Wood crafts vivid sketches of women who triumph over destiny." --Publishers Weekly

"Entertainment fiction at its best." --Booklist

"Wood creates genuine, engaging characters whose stories are fascinating." --Library Journal

About the Author

BARBARA WOOD is the international bestselling author of twenty-five acclaimed novels, including New York Times bestseller Domina. Her work has been translated into over 30 languages. Barbara lives in California.