The narrator of this suspense novel leaves the vibrant gay community of San Francisco to travel to Billings, Mont., with her lover Marya, whose great-aunt Rebecca has bequeathed her a house full of kitschy Catholic icons. Our unnamed heroine, a medieval art historian, becomes fascinated with the reclusive Rebecca's story when she discovers a beautiful Quattrocento box tucked away in the basement. This priceless object calls forth memories of the narrator's time in Italy with her former lover Ilona, a brilliant Swedish professor she has tried unsuccessfully to forget. She gradually comes to terms with her own past while pursuing Rebecca's to a convent in San Diego; just as she solves the mystery of the old lady's hoarded wealth, a painful personal secret catches up with her.
Wings ( She Came Too Late ) writes straightforward, intelligent prose, and her lesbian protagonist's perspective is refreshing, especially when exploring Rebecca's deep-seated, mystical Catholicism.
Rebecca H. (amichai) from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote on 12/9/2005...
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The nameless narrator of this mesmerizing tale and her lover, Marya, have left their cozy life together in San Francisco for the wilds of Montana. Marya's Aunt Rebecca has died, leaving Marya five million dollars on the condition that Marya live in her house for a year. But the house is both remote and unwelcoming....Alone in the house as Marya settles the estate, our narrator becomes prey to doubts and fears, as well as to numerous "accidents" whose significance she cannot ignore... -from the back cover