FLOWER IN THE SKULL GEB: A Novel - Hardcover

It is testimony to Ms. Alcal 's vivid talents as a storyteller, and to the mystical allure of the threads of magic realism that run through her narrative, that we come to care about many of her characters, and to wonder what destinies await them in her next book. "The New York Times Book Review" on "Spirits of the Ordinary"

On an isolated island off the New England coast, fifteen-year-old Michael and his parents begin their customary lazy vacation - swimming, sailing, dreaming, reading. Nothing to worry about, except perhaps his adored father's wandering eye. Then two exquisite flirts, Mrs. Mertz and her twenty-year-old daughter, Zina, move into the guesthouse. Michael, at first sight, falls desperately in love with Zina. So strong are his feelings that he is sure he can overcome the difference in their ages. At the same time, Mrs. Mertz shines her outrageous European charm on Michael's father. This perilous mixture of various kinds of love - romantic and sensual, paternal and filial - drives the story to its shocking and fated conclusion.