Wounded

June 30, 2008
Burney's offbeat story, which explores what it might mean to literally share in Christ's suffering, demonstrates an edginess that both attracts and repels. Burney's protagonist, Regina “Gina” Dolores Merritt, is a 24-year-old black, health-conscious, bipolar, once suicidal single mom with fibromyalgia and migraines and a history of mental illness. It's a lot to put on one character. When she appears to receive the stigmata on Ash Wednesday at her Vineyard Church in Ann Arbor, Mich. (perhaps based on real-life pastor Ken Wilson and his church), a circus of sorts ensues. Druggie Anthony Priest shows up to help, as does Priest's alienated mother, Veronica Morelli. Events catapult toward an unexpected conclusion. Burney pushes the boundaries for her faith fiction audience sexually, especially in references to Christ as lover. The multiple first-person perspectives work well, but stories about saints seem inserted rather than integral, and a few characters feel overdrawn. However, Burney's unusual voice, gritty themes, and ecumenical blending should help this uninhibited novel find a home, especially with emergent church readers.

Starred review from September 1, 2008
Sitting in a church pew on Ash Wednesday in great physical pain, African American mother Gina Merritt prays for relief, instantly having a vision of Jesus, who kisses her hands and leaves the stigmata of two red roses. The junkie sitting next to her touches Gina, and believing he is cured of his addiction, follows her home. This original tale about the nature of miracles in modern times from the author of "Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White" and the "Amanda Bell Brown" mystery series includes the viewpoints of a Catholic priest, a Protestant minister, and a cast of colorful characters, including a transvestite drug dealer. The subject matter may be controversial for some readers, but this thought-provoking novel deserves a place in fiction collections, especially where there is a demand for books that feature African American protagonists. Highly recommended.

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