Publisher's Synopsis
An American Catholic priest posted to a far-flung island realm of the "downsizing" British Empire, meets a condemned Hindu prisoner who claims that Ganesha-the elephant-headed deity of Hindus-will save him from the noose. Intrigued by the man's life story, and yet appalled by his naivete and faith in heretical prophesies, the priest accepts the prisoner's unusual challenge-to "do the honors" at the gallows. Will he witness a divine hand at play, or will he be subjected to the spectacle of a new Indian rope trick? Evocative of a Greek tragedy, The Curse and the Benediction is an all-consuming allegory that exposes the ruthless machinations of empire, and the role faith and fate play in human survival, triumph and loss.
