Prophet and Loss

A young woman follows her husband and guru on a wearying trek through the wilderness. A dedicated follower of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon recounts a long, and ultimately heartbreaking, day selling candy and flowers for his Master. A young acolyte of Opus Dei has a key realization as she seeks to recruit her best friend to the faith. A teenage girl who learns that she is about to be married to a much older man in a polygamous sect makes a desperate bid for freedom. A small boy describes his family’s transformation by his father’s conversion to a fundamentalist church. These, and other stories in this startling collection, bring to life the painful dilemmas and heart-rending sacrifices of those who adopt extreme beliefs, and of those who know and love them. Many of these stories have previously appeared in literary journals and similar publications.