The brother and
sister in this book are named Francis and Clare- a broad hint of medieval Assisi in modern America. They are the nice Catholic kids of ultra-liberal, lentil-scoffing parents. Francis is a
kind of holy innocent, touched by God in ways that are never quiet explained. His protective sister grows up into a nurse for the dying and tries to hold Francis together after the sudden death of his wife. Francis seems to be seeking some kind of renewal in the punk rock riffs of the youth.
There is a lot of praying, the effect of which (even to a fellow Christian) is rather creepy.
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