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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unique and pleasing treatment of a Trek-style plot, 17 Aug 2004
The plot behind "Child Goddess" is probably familiar to you if you are a Trekkie; without giving a spoiler here, suffice it to say the "The Child Goddess" has something in common with an Original Star Trek's episode. However, the treatment of the subject has Marley's originality and ability to create entire worlds and societies in a few deft strokes. Mother Burke, a member of the Magdalenes, a female Catholic priesthood, is tapped to investigate the finding of a survivor of an old colony on a planet being used for Earth expansion and enterprise. After a tragic first contact, a child is brought back to Earth. But she is not all she seems to be. An alien (in which case, the planet is rendered useless for colonization) or is she the descendent of an ill-fated settlement from centuries ago? And why is she being kept in quarantine far longer than the six-month mandatory period, and by a very shady doctor. Isabel Burke is a fascinating character. She is doing penance as a Magadalene as well as fulfilling a vocation. She is also a scientist and a sympathetic character with a mix of backbone and tenderness. One wants to learn more about her, hence my feeling that "Child Goddess" could be worthy of a sequel. Her order of woman priests is also interesting; imagine the history that was behind a church finally granting disciple status to Mary Magdalene and validating the Gospel of Mary. Oa, the child, is interesting. Marley borrows from Australian aborigine customs as well as African to create her alien, and Oa is cast well in the role of a naive, yet sophisticated person. Though I found the plot entirely predictable, I still raced through the book with enjoyment and hope for more from this author.
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