Bernardo and the Virgin

"The year is 1980, and the Sandinistas are newly in power in Nigaragua. Bernardo Martinez, a modest, unassuming tailor in the town of Cuapa, witnesses an extraordinary thing: an otherworldly glow around the statue of the Virgin Mary in the church where he volunteers as sacristan, and soon the Holy Virgin appears. She instructs Bernardo to forget his money problems and fear of ridicule and to spread her message of peace and faith to his neighbors and the rest of the world." "Though a work of fiction, Bernardo and the Virgin is based on the real-life experiences of Bernardo Martinez. The visitation of the Virgin Mary at Cuapa remains one of the few such events accepted by the Roman Catholic Church in the last sixty years." "Silvio Sirias' novel tells many stories, weaving together a true account of this humble, devout man. It is also a stormy epic of Nicaragua through the long Somoza years and the Sandinista revolution. Sirias's beautiful language mixes English with Spanish and details of dusty village life with wondrous images of Catholic mysticism. His portrayal of the rich recent past of the region resonates with the experiences of both the natives and the thriving communities of Nicaraguans and other Central Americans who are putting down roots in the United States."--Jacket.