When he is twelve years old, his entire world is destroyed, and so begins a lifelong Odyssey to find again the faith which the blows of evil have shattered. The plot takes the reader through Josip's youth, his young manhood, life under the Communist regime, hope and loss and unexpected blessings, the growth of his creative powers as a poet, and the ultimate test of his life. Ultimately this novel is about the crucifixion of a soul—and resurrection.
Substitute "wizard" for "poet," and you'd have essentially the same story. And since when is the Artist not as suspect as the Magician when it comes to relations with God & the Cosmos? (I think Nietzsche's aphorism is "Art raises its head where creeds relax.") What "Art" is for him, "Magic" is in HP --a metaphor for talent & the self. I like Michael O'Brien's novels very much and expect to read this one, but I do think his criticism of HP is specious.
