Miracle Creek by Angie
Kim is a well-written novel that is a mystery and much more. Two people die and several are injured due to a fire and explosion at
the “Miracle Submarine,” a controversial treatment (extended exposure to high oxygen
levels) for people with autism and other various medical issues. The author uses
multiple narrators and aptly weaves the stories of the patients and their
families with the history of the Korean immigrants (Pak Yoo, his wife, Young
and daughter, Mary) who run the center. In addition, Kim introduces the
courtroom setting where the mother (Elizabeth) of one of the children (Henry)
is tried for intentionally setting the fire which killed her own son.
There is
certainly plenty of angst and guilt spread around: parents who experience a
range of feelings towards their children, conflicts between spouses, questions
of ethics for the lawyers, and actions by protesters who debate the medical
efficacy of this treatment. As the
reader hurtles from one lie to another and flips back and forth between
suspicion and empathy for possible perpetrators, Kim propels the story forward
to its surprising conclusion. Miracle Creek was chosen as a
LibraryReads selection for April and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal. An excellent choice for book groups.
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