First published 2007
Father Deitrich serves as priest in a small German village in 1348 as the Black Death spreads across Europe. When an alien spacecraft crashes in the nearby forest, this educated clergyman becomes humanity's first contact with visitors from a distant star. The aliens need help, and Deitrich must navigate between his faith, his scientific curiosity, and the growing plague that threatens everyone. Six hundred years later, historian Tom and physicist Sharon investigate why this particular town disappeared completely from history when logic suggests it should have survived. The medieval priest and the modern researchers share a connected fate that bridges centuries. Deitrich faces impossible choices as he tries to protect both his human parishioners and the stranded extraterrestrials while catastrophe closes in around them.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, time-travel
Setting: Germany, Europe
Period: 1348, 600 years later
Audio Cassette · Blackstone Audio Inc.
Content warnings: death