Finished reading on: August 09, 2007
Outside an Evident Destiny
Title of the original version reviewed: «Fuori da un evidente destino»
AI Translation Notice: This review was translated from the original Italian using artificial intelligence. Book quotes and excerpts are translated interpretations and will not match the author's original English phrasing or official published translations.
The setting is an American town in Navajo territory.
Jim, half-Indian and half-white, returns to his hometown only to become embroiled in a series of murders committed by an avenging shadow, unleashed by an Indian ancestor to exact vengeance for a massacre perpetrated by adventurers.
It is a return to the past—both the distant one and the more immediate past tied to Jim’s childhood and his choice to leave his hometown behind.
The book’s conclusion is partly predictable—the culprits of both yesterday and today meet their punishment—and partly bitter, as Jim must sacrifice himself, taking his own life to halt the vengeful fury of the shadow, which is his own shadow.
The story is overly New Age, as is its style.
Yet the narrative pace remains brisk, making for an enjoyable and compelling read.