From master storyteller Barbara Wood comes an engrossing suspense novel about a young girl caught between the possibilities of science and the mysteries of faith.

According to the doctors, seventeen-year-old Mary McFarland is pregnant. But Mary knows she is a virgin, despite her strange symptoms. In 1960s America, a woman’s worst social disgrace is to become pregnant out of wedlock. A good Catholic high school girl, Mary suddenly finds herself at the center of a scandal, rejected and ostracized by family, friends, and even her priest. Although she believes emphatically in her own innocence, no one else believes the truth. When a doctor begins to wonder if Mary’s claim to innocence could possibly be justified, he begins to investigate. The scientific theory he develops to explain her pregnancy is so bizarre and such a medical oddity that he knows the McFarland family, the church—and the world—will very likely refuse to accept it. But if he is right, what kind of child is Mary carrying? Mary and her family are suddenly trapped in a chilling conflict between the possibilities of science—and the mysteries of faith.

“A master storyteller. She never fails to leave the reader enthralled.” —Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, author of A Woman of Independent Means

“An accomplished storyteller.” —John Jakes, New York Times bestselling author

“Wood shows herself a wizard at juggling action and romance, maintaining the momentum and sparkle of both.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Wood makes her fiction come alive with authentic detailing and highly memorable characters.” —Booklist

“Barbara Wood is an entertainer.” —Washington Post Book World

“Wood crafts vivid sketches of women who triumph over destiny.” —Publishers Weekly

“Entertainment fiction at its best.” —Booklist

“Wood creates genuine, engaging characters whose stories are fascinating.” —Library Journal

Barbara Wood was born in Warrington, England (near Liverpool). Together with her parents and older brother, she immigrated to the United States and grew up in Southern California. 

Before Barbara became a bestselling author, she held many different jobs. They included: waitress, secretary, switchboard operator,and dog walker!! Barbara’s career path took a more serious direction when she became an operating room technician. She worked in Santa Monica for 10 years before she quit to become a full-time writer in 1980.

To date, Barbara has written 25 books, including three under a pen name. She is an international bestselling author with books translated into over 30 languages. The reader is transported to exotic countries that Barbara has meticulously researched to provide her fans with a true sense of the culture and history relevant to each story. At the heart of every book is a strong, independent woman.

Currently, Barbara is busy working on her next story that will, no doubt, showcase an extraordinary heroine in an exciting and intriguing adventure. When not writing, Barbara often takes time to enjoy the work of other authors or play golf with her husband, Walt.

Barbara also writes under a pen name, Kathryn Harvey.  Butterfly and its sequel Stars continue to be huge successes. Most recently Private Entrance was added to the collection.  These books are quite different from the Barbara Wood novels and Barbara, her agent and editor agreed that a pen name would serve to indicate the difference.

For more about Barbara, visit her website.

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