Miracle at St. Anna
By James McBride
Putnam Publishing Group, 2002

(From the publisher) James McBride’s powerful memoir, The Color of Water, was a publishing phenomenon, spending more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list and becoming required reading in high schools and colleges across the country. Now, in his long-awaited second book, McBride turns his highly acclaimed talent as a storyteller to fiction.

Inspired by a historical incident that took place in the village of St. Anna di Stazzema in Tuscany and by the experiences of the famed Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Division in Italy during World War 11, Miracle at St. Anna is a singular evocation of war, cruelty, passion, heroism, and love. It is the story of four American soldiers, the villagers among whom they take refuge, a band of partisans, and an Italian boy, all of whom encounter a miracle—though perhaps the true miracle lies in themselves.

Traversing class, race, and geography, Miracle at St. Anna is above all a hymn to the brotherhood of man and the power to do good that lives in each of us. It reveals a little-known but fascinating moment in history through the eyes and imagination of a gifted writer. Like The Color of Water, James McBride's stunning' first novel will change the way we perceive ourselves and our world.

About the author

	© Dennis O'Brien

James McBride is an award-winning writer and musician. His memoir and tribute to his mother, The Color of Water was published worldwide and won the prestigious Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. As a composer McBride has written songs for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., and Gary Burton; he received the American Music Theater Festival's Stephen Sondheim Award for his jazz/pop musical Bobos. He lives in Pennsylvania.