Our Lady of the Forest

by David Guterson

First published 2002

When a teenage runaway named Ann claims to see the Virgin Mary in the foggy woods of North Fork, Washington, the town is turned upside down. A young priest, Father Collins, must impartially evaluate Ann's visions, even as he finds her disturbingly alluring. As word spreads and thousands converge on the town, Ann's fellow mushroomer Carolyn becomes her unlikely disciple, while a logger named Tom sees Ann's visions as a chance at redemption. In the midst of this religious fervor, the characters must each confront their own demons and desires as the stakes rise for them all.

Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, supernatural, contemporary

Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Washington (State)

323 pages · Hardcover · Alfred A. Knopf

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