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489th out of 576 books
—
648 voters
The Child Goddess
by
Louise Marley (Goodreads Author)
Louise Marley weaves a compelling story of a woman whose faith may be the only thing that can save a girl from certain doom.
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
May 31st 2005
by Ace
(first published May 31st 2004)
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This book was a seamless blending of science fiction, speculative fiction, drama and religious themes. It was an easy and enjoyable read. It tells the tale of Oa, a child living on a distant earth colony, who has not aged in more than 100 years. Through her quest to become a person, the author is able to explore themes of belonging, religious beliefs, societal stigma and the endurance of the human spirit.
I was so caught up in the story I hardly noticed the time passing, and read the entire book in one sitting. I especially loved Oa's point of view, how alien everything seemed to her, and how naturally the author managed to conceal an important secret and then reveal it bit by bit. I also loved the interplay of faith and science here, seen in the two main characters of Isabel and Oa. Isabel is a priest in a time when technology is crowding out faith. And Oa baffles everyone around her by giving r...more
This was written in exactly the sort of "touchy-feely/hippity-dippity/medicine-woman" voice that I expected from the cover and the bookjacket blurb references to a nun and a child. I think I picked it up to prove myself wrong about "pre-judging"... Too bad I wasn't wrong and the most generous thing I can say is: The underlying mystery is not, ultimately, *that* interesting and the characters are all sort of... Meh... Then again, in it's good moments it's trying to tell an original story or sugge...more
I was predisposed to hate this book. Both the title and the cover screamed "Preachy New Age." I'm so glad I'm in a reading group, and we chose it, for this is one great read.
The story and characters are much better than the background. This is science fiction without the science. The most important hydrogen refueling planet is an earth type water world, with active volcanoes and no moon. Why extracting hydrogen from water is cheaper than skimming gas giants is never explained, or how a moonless...more
The story and characters are much better than the background. This is science fiction without the science. The most important hydrogen refueling planet is an earth type water world, with active volcanoes and no moon. Why extracting hydrogen from water is cheaper than skimming gas giants is never explained, or how a moonless...more
Mar 20, 2007
Kit
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Women who like Science fiction with women as main characters.
The Child Goddess is what I consider to be futuristic Science Fiction. Isabelle, a Magdalene priest, is called to be the guardian of Oa, a child brought to Earth from a distant planet. Oa's home planet is small, with hardly any landmass, and the inhabitants, who live primitively, are thought to be the descendants of group of people who’d been lost after leaving earth 300 years before.
There is conflict because a large corporation wants to take hydrogen fuel form Oa’s planet.
Oa’s life on her hom...more
There is conflict because a large corporation wants to take hydrogen fuel form Oa’s planet.
Oa’s life on her hom...more
I have always loved Louise Marley's books from the first book I'd read of hers The Terrorists of Irustan, and this book is no different. Marley weaves her characters into her stories. She blends plot, emotion, texture, sound, and culture expertly leaving you wanting to read more about the world that she creates.
That being said, I was frustrated with this book with how she treated the mystery of Oa - I felt that she took too long to unfold the mystery. I won't say much more because I don't want t...more
That being said, I was frustrated with this book with how she treated the mystery of Oa - I felt that she took too long to unfold the mystery. I won't say much more because I don't want t...more
Just happily finished reading this little gem. Marley penned a sweet sci-fi adventure interwoven with all kinds of goodies: a lost African space colony, Catholicism (Mary Magdalen as a disciple!), unrequited love, sacrifice, and the Fountain of Youth. Oh, and speaking of the main character arc, fall in love with "Oa" -- the girl living with eternal hope that one day she will become a person.
Picked this up on a whim at Fred Meyer. It is by Louise Marley, whose work I’ve read before: "The Terrorists of Irustan" is the one I remember best. I remember really liking The Terrorist of Irustan, but feeling so disheartened by the end that I haven’t been able to bring myself to re-read it. The Child Goddess is set in the same timeframe as that one, and I was so engaged with it that I stayed up really late on Monday night reading it, then stayed up really late on Tuesday night re-reading it....more
Well written SF novel which dips into religion,anthropology and sociology.If you enjoyed this you might enjoy other works of SF that deal with faith,such as The Sparrowand Hyperion
interesting pov women role in sci fi, religion, belief, similar to Octavia Butler in themes girl is found on a remote world she is over 100 years old and science is interested in her as pharmaceutical research
Isabel Burke, a priest in the Order of Mary Magdalene and also an anthropologist, travels to a distant planet where a group of "old children" were discovered: children who haven't aged in over a 100 years. A corporate entity is on the planet to build a power station and of course there is some speculation on how these children's immortality might be exploited, but the tale is far more complicated than that. Author Louise Marley weaves science fiction, faith and the crises thereof, misplaced love...more
this is not a book that will change your life but it was a good quick read. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day.
Here's my blog post: http://burbanklibrary.blogspot.com/20...
Here's my review of The Child Goddess:
http://kammbia1.wordpress.com/2012/12...
http://kammbia1.wordpress.com/2012/12...
I really liked this. The story is complex and develops nicely; instead of large exposition dumps, bits of information are doled out bit by bit, drawing the reader in through curiosity. The characters are complex, with their own desires and darknesses and traumas, but a desire to do right. Even the antagonists get some development and depth, even if one of them turns out unrepentant, it's okay because it's done well.
Touching, emotional, complicated characters, motivations, and a deceptively simple plot. I thought the back of the book gave a bit too much away. I also felt like while many of Louise Marley's books make me cry this was the least necessary tears. On the border of being a tear-jerker for the fun of it.
This isn't a book I would I picked up on my own. I'm pretty picky about science fiction. The story pulled me in eventually. Interesting themes of what makes someone human, and if you could avoid aging and live forever, would you want to?
I really enjoyed this novel. It has been sitting on my to-read shelf for awhile but once I started it I found myself unable to put it down and I read it in a day.
It was interesting and I enjoyed it.
It was interesting and I enjoyed it.
Take a great other-world setting. Add one strong woman and an unusual girl-child. Full of character, emotion, and politics -- and a satisfying climax complete with surprise.
Well, it was better than the last Marley novel I read - The Glass Harmonica. It was sweet, and the sci fi aspects were interesting, but the ending sorta flopped together.
I really loved this book!
Jun 07, 2013
Mindy
marked it as to-read
Apr 22, 2013
Nenia Campbell
marked it as books-to-look-up-at-library
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Louise Marley, a former concert and opera singer, writes stories of the fantastic. Sometimes set in the past, sometimes in the future, and often in a curious present, her novels tend to be feminist, often musical, occasionally dark, but always with compelling, colorful, and complex characters. Louise is in demand as a teacher of writing workshops for adults and young adults.
More about Louise Marley...
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