Book dossier

Miracle in Seville

by James A. Michener

In Spain, a rancher prays to the Virgin Mary to have his bull cover him in glory. Meanwhile, the sister of the matador who will fight the bull prays to the devil to turn the bull into a weakling. A tale of bulls and miracles, narrated by an non-believing American journalist who in the process discovers faith in God. An American journalist is in Seville on assignment. He is to report on efforts the rancher Don Cayetano Mota is making to revive his once-proud line of bulls. But the story Shenstone discovers goes deeper into life's mysteries, even as it shakes the newspaperman's skepticism and opens his eyes to the wonders of faith. To return his bulls to honor, Don Cayetano Mota prays to the Virgin Mary and he takes on Herculean acts of devotion during the solemn celebrations of Holy Week. Convinced that his prayers will be answered, he endures his bulls' humiliation in the ring and the taunts of the arrogant matador Gomez. But Gomez, too, has a powerful woman on his side - his sister, a Gypsy fortuneteller. Foreseeing the danger her brother faces from a Mota bull, Magdalena is determined that in the bullring her brother will prevail. James A. Michener's lovely Miracle in Seville is enriched by twenty-six drawings that capture the beauty of Seville and the excitement of the bullfight.