The Shrine at Altamira

A novel of cultural and emotional divides—and the consequences of obsessive love—from the author of An Honorable Profession, a New York Times Notable Book.

The Shrine at Altamira by John L'Heureux has the simple shape and powerful impact of Greek tragedy. When Maria Corazon Alvarez meets Russell Whitaker at a school dance, she sees his blue eyes and solid American name as a ticket out of the ghetto into a better life. They dance, they touch, they tumble into a love so strong and elemental ...