THOUSANDS OF DESPERATE PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO LOURDES AND ITS RENOWNED GROTTO WHEN THE VATICAN ANNOUNCES THAT THE VIRGIN MARY WILL PERFORM ANOTHER MIRACLE CURE THERE. THEIR LIVES ARE AT STAKE…BUT WILL A MIRACLE REALLY OCCUR? IRVING WALLACE, AUTHOR OF THE WORD, THE MAN, AND THE PRIZE, FOCUSES ON AN ECLECTIC GROUP OF PILGRIMS AT THE SITE OF THE VIRGIN MARY`S LEGENDARY APPEARANCE: KEN CLAYTON, A YOUNG AMERICAN WHO GIVES UP MEDICINE IN HOPE OF A SPIRITUAL CURE; HIS FIANCÉE, AMANDA, A PSYCHOLOGIST; A POWERFUL RUSSIAN OFFICIAL WHO MUST KEEP HIS DANGEROUS VISIT A SECRET; HURTADO, A BASQUE TERRORIST TO WHOM THE GROTTO SYMBOLIZES REPRESSION; LIZ FINCH, A CYNICAL JOURNALIST; KLEINBERG, A JEWISH DOCTOR; EDITH MOORE, AN ENGLISH WOMAN WHO IS THRUST INTO THE LIMELIGHT BECAUSE OF HER OWN RECOVERY; AND GISELE, WHOSE AMBITION IS NOT TO REACH LOURDES BUT TO ESCAPE IT.THIS IS A NOVEL OF MYSTERY, FAITH, BLACKMAIL, LOVE, AND VIOLENCE, ENCASING THE FASCINATING STORY OF BERNADETTE, THE YOUNG FRENCH PEASANT GIRL WHO FIRST SAW MARY AT THE GROTTO IN 1858. THE SUBJECT IS THOUGHT PROVOKING. THE CLIMAX IS SURPRISING.