The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn

by Janis Hallowell

What would happen if an ordinary teenager was suddenly proclaimed a modern-dayHoly Virgin? That is the premise of Janis Hallowell's wise and provocative debut novel, The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn.

A failed prodigy and child of divorce, Francesca Dunn is also an adolescent like any other, trying to find her identity and figure out her place in the world. One night Chester, a visionary homeless man (or an insane one, depending on your point of view) "sees" Francesca hovering over the river, bathed in celestial light. Days later, as Francesca serves meals to the needy in a local café, Chester falls to his knees before her in adoration. Word spreads, hordes of followers converge, and the result is a catastrophic storm of fervent belief and doubt, the relentless and perpetual desire for salvation, possible miracles, and an adolescent trapped by events far beyond her control.

The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn is a beautifully crafted tale about people who pin their hopes for spiritual salvation on a young girl; and how, slowly, surely, and tragically, she comes to believe that she is the divine being they want her to be. At stake for each is nothing less than the fundamental belief in the structure of the world, and the balance between the miraculous and the mundane.

Narrating by turns are four disparate characters who tell the story as they see it: Chester, who smells fear, disease, and holiness and appoints himself Francesca's protector and follower; Anne Dunn, Francesca's paleobotanist mother who places her faith in Darwin and natural selection; Sid, the schoolmate, who wants to use Francesca's new circumstances for her own profit; and Francesca herself, who becomes increasingly deluded by the adoration bestowed upon her.

At once powerful, tender, and humorous, The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn is an astonishing and resonant work from an exciting new talent. With each of its gentle revelations, the novel brings an unforgettable cast of characters to vibrant life as it brilliantly explores the seductive and destructive power of belief.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Novels, Religion, Coming Of Age

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 2004

About the author

Janis Hallowell is a MacDowell Fellow, and her short fiction has been published in Plowshares. She lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Sof S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and unique book. There's such a focus in it between the interesting conflict and they well developed characters we get to see. Great quick read.

[Christine Keleny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stats: Published in 2004, discs - I think there were 8, print is 336 pages. The audio book was narrated by 4 different people: Tyler Bunch, Dristen Kilian, Beth MacDonald and Mia Pitasi.

Blurb: (from Goodreads) Told from the viewpoints of four unforgettable characters, The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn is the story of an ordinary girl who is believed to be a modern-day Holy Virgin. At the heart of the story is Francesca: a shy and moody teenager hungry for her absent father's love, she is frightened and intoxicated by her sudden elevation to the rank of divine. Chester is a visionary homeless man who first 'discovers' Francesca and makes himself her protector. Anne is Francesca's no-nonsense mother, whose religion is Darwin and biology. Sid is Francesca's troubled friend, who keeps a few secrets of her own.

What I liked: I liked the 4 different points of view, especially the homeless man who initially "discovers" Francesca's divinity. Listening to what is happening from these 4 different characters read by 4 different people allows the reader to understand how something like this could happen. Hallowell even makes you wonder if the child really does have this divinity, which is a real trick, I think. As odd as things can get in the world these days (or maybe it's just that we get to see the oddity more because of the internet and media), this story's premise isn't that far out there.

What I didn't like: The supposed intellectual mother of Francesca is conveniently unaware of what is going on until it has gotten way out of hand. Hallowell makes her out to be self-centered and so much into her own life and work that she ignores what is going on with her daughter - which is plausible, but it's a bit hard to believe when they are living under the same roof. I also didn't believe that this very independent woman runs to her ex when things get really bad. This too, seems unreal given the way the author has portrayed her up to that point.

Rating: 4/5

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

After an intriguing storyline, and interesting characters...this book's ending completely disappointed me. The first three quarters of the book is filled with mystical experiences and strange happenings, and people full of belief and hope. The reader waits expectantly to see which characters are truthful, and to find out how the unusual situation will resolve. Sadly, the ending is a vague deus ex machina that leaves the reader still wondering what really happened. Are some characters' lives changed by the events? Yes. But the reader still doesn't know how or why or whether it was all for the greater good? In the end, a very frustrating read.

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

a quick read that requires some suspension of disbelief to get through. certainly an interesting premise (homeless guy sees 14 year old girl in a vision, she gets wrapped up in widespread belief/adoration of her healing powers...), though the plot lacked some important connections and the end-of-story wrap-up was incomplete and unsatisfying. nevertheless, the multiple narrators kept my attention, and i wanted to know how it all would come together in the end.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an intriguing story of a 14 year old girl who is believed to be the Virgin. A homeless man sees a "vision" which leads him to this belief. I wasn't sure how this would play out or if it would be sort of preposterous. I found it to be a very engaging story with real characters and a satisfying ending.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't! To me, the most interesting possibilities in the book surrounded the priest and Francesca's mom. I wasn't feeling very sympathetic to Francesca and I just found myself annoyed reading this book.

[Kristin Little · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I can't be too disappointed in this book, as I did get it out of the bargain bin, but it did not live up to the promise of the premise. It just all around fell short of expectations.

[Christina Cuanalo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took a long time and patience to get through this book.

[Gabrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snooze fest. Ending was horrible. Waste of time.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting story with a good mix of characters to connect with. It sort of skims the surface of the topic of belief--and how what we believe, without question or examination, about ourselves and others, can be more destructive than comforting. There's no deep dive into matters of faith or religion here. But that's probably good for the overall story. It never gets too preachy. Overall, it was good easy read.

[Amy Bobbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first half of this book in one day. It was so intriguing and held my interest and curiosity through its entirety. Then I read the ending. I felt closure on several aspects of the story line but ultimately it was disappointing. I was left wondering and confused. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book but the ending just wasn't there.

[Lindsay Deal · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to like about this book but in the end I feel like there were significant questions left unresolved. That may be intentional, since divinity does not come in neat packages, but it resulted in a feeling of dissatisfaction as the story concluded.

[Ann Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting premise, with quite the quick, wrap-it-up ending. Some characters were well explored, others given snippets to advance the story. Interesting that it took place in Colorado, yet that landscape only played out in a few snowy scenes & a mention of Denver.

[Marianne]

Hated this book so much I couldn’t even finish it. It was boring and a complete waste of time.

[Brita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had been given to me and I was looking for a lighter/easier read after two heavy books. This one fit the bill. I give it 2.5 stars.

[Tessa Robinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites

[Cecilia]

very different but enjoyable. keeps you reading for sure. asks questions about faith, perception, and mental illness. made me think.

[Mary Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the story to be interesting. Francesca is an impressionable teenager who believes she is pregnant with the next Christ child.

[Kelly Debyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read and very interesting. Thinking.... something like this could really happen!

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I thought of all the holy people throughout history, all the mystics and martyrs, artists and visionaries, and what the world would have been like if they'd all been given medication to make them ordinary. There would have been less suffering, no doubt about it, but I couldn't imagine a world without saints and madmen. Someone had to walk the outer edges. Someone had to stir things up."
- Chester


I have always been fascinated by divinity and madness. My interests had often been "other". Now it looks to me I've found yet another book that seems to be after my own heart.

A coming-of-age novel, The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn tells the story of 14-year old Francesca, whom people somehow believe to be the Virgin Mother in the flesh, told from 4 of the main characters' perspectives. Multiple POV stories are close to my heart, because I am always interested in characters' dynamics, and simply because I like to get inside every character. What's interesting in this book is that 3 POVs are written in the first person narrative, while Francesca, the central part of the story, is written in the third person present tense. It seems to work in favor of the writer, because I cannot imagine this unusual story being told by Francesca herself.


This book was beautifully written. The characters were flawed, yet resilient. There's a homeless man who can smell the essence of each person he meets. Definitely inspired by Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, and the passages about people's smells, ranging from sweet roses to newly sharpened pencils, were fascinating. In fact, the four characters' insights were intelligent and ringed of truth. They were wise, even in innocence.

What really drew me to it was the book's search for the divine, of a part of God in all of us. Sometimes, we need to go a little mad, to lose ourselves, before we find ourselves. I really like spiritual books that delve into this stuff, without getting preachy. It made me reevaluate my own beliefs, and helped me to feel once again the same feeling of calm happiness when I was first conscious of how miraculous ordinary life was.

I cannot fully articulate how good this book was, in its simplicity. All I know is, it struck a chord in me.

~~~

I read that it took the author six years to write this novel. I think it really payed off.

*4.5 stars*, a mesmerizing debut novel that tickled my fancy, especially since it tackled issues of spirituality/divinity, madness, and the mundane.

[Betsy Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about a fourteen-yr-old girl who comes to believe that she has healing powers and is carrying the Savior in her womb, the homeless man who first sees her in a vision and sets out to protect her, her busy professional mother who must wake up to her daughter's life, and her best friend who is dealing with serious issues of her own. Great characters,
great story, and easy to read because it is told in alternating chapters by the four main characters. In fact, I was a little sorry to see it end because I had become attached to the characters. I highly recommend this for mother-daughter reading or for a teen you might know, as this could easily be a highly recommended Young Adult novel as well as Adult fiction.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

""

[treehugger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good - I really wanted to know what happened at the end - enough so that, when the cassettes I had borrowed from the library got me only through to the last chapter before my ancient tape player ate them, I went today and got the CD version to listen to the rest (I didn't realize it was so little, or I would just have ferreted out a printed copy).

I think the author raised some good questions about mental health, religious belief, dogma, etc. But I intensely disliked, well, most of the characters. I begrudged them their selfishness, their mental illnesses, their ignorance, their lack of respect for the other characters. And I don't think the author dealt any sort of kind hand to the possibility of truth behind spiritual knowings or miracles. It was like reading a book on religion written by an atheist..

sort of strange, and from reading other people's reviews, i don't think this is a common reaction to this novel, but there you have it - I'm an uncommon kinda girl ;). I would certainly recommend it, especially to those who have any interest in Mother Mary symbolism and mental illness...but it's not first class literature or anything, or even in the top 20 best contemporary books i've read lately.

would be interested in anyone's feedback after reading the book..

[Sara Pauff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this novel -- it was solid and clearly written -- but I don't know if I'd ever give it a second read. The story is told from the viewpoint of four different characters: Chester, a homeless man who first believes that Francesca is the holy Virgin; Sid, who uses her friend's new found "divinity" to make a profit; Francesca's mother, Anne, who doesn't believe in any kind of religion; and Francesca, who slowly begins to believe that she is divine. As word of Francesca's holiness spreads, she gathers followers who feed her delusions, but ultimately turn on her. The novel does a good job of illustrating various views of spirituality and religion and showing how the hunger for proof of God can turn even the most faithful people into violent doubters. I didn't find the story and its ideas about religion especially thought-provoking or original -- there was nothing in it that made me want to reread the book for second meanings -- but the story was compelling enough to keep me reading to the end of the book. A good book to check out from the library.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-paced, thoroughly engaging story, somewhat reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's novels, minus the moral complexities. The story is told in short chapters from the alternating perspectives of 4 characters: Francesca, the 14-year-old title character; her mother; her best friend; and the homeless man who first identifies her as the Holy Virgin Mother and then appoints himself to protect her from potential harm (he's by far the most appealing, empathetic character in the novel). All of the perspectives are told in first person except Francesca's, which are in third person. It's a really good story, well told. It touches on themes such as the difficult choices parents must make; the costs of celebrity; the longing for healing--even miraculous healing--in our culture; the notion that the healings we really need are not from the big things, but healing from the everyday pain that life throws at us. But the tone of the storytelling makes it clear that the author is more concerned with telling a good story than with shedding much light on any of these themes--and that's OK, I guess.

[Julene Bair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janis Hallowell’s The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn takes a surprisingly convincing leap of imagination into the lives of saints, or ordinary people who might be construed as such. I found myself wanting Francesca to be holy, a miracle, just as much as the book’s many needy of heart and/or body did. This wise book, by causing me to recognize that wish in myself, expanded my understanding of the religious impulse. It is not a mindless drive toward mass hypnosis, as I’ve sometimes suspected, but a need to love, surrender and revere. While the writing is as particular and the characters as real as in any realistic novel, the story is also an allegory, showing us, through the homeless Chester, the self-transcendence possible through worship, while also dissecting the corruption that often tempts those closest to worship’s object. Francesca’s best friend Sid is as tragically bound to betray her as Judas was Christ.

[Gail Storey · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first chapter, I was immersed--like homeless Chester waist-deep in the water and spellbound by the Virgin--in the lovely, strange world of The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn. Janis Hallowell is a writer with a unique sensibility, a magical realist rooted in the luscious sensory lives of her characters: fourteen-year-old Francesca surprised by her own mysterious power, her troubled friend Sid, big-hearted Ronnie, four-year-old Jonah, even the aggravating Rae, and especially Chester, transformed by love. Love runs deep in this book. Perfectly poised between two worlds--plausible explanations lifting off into miracles--this riveting story ultimately comes together in a beautiful truth. I couldn't put it down, and I look forward to reading Hallowell's next novel, She Was.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did, I liked this book. It had interesting characters, a solid and unpredictable plot, and great, realistic, unexpected details. Hallowell is a good author and does a great writing job. It was a particularly good Book Club book because it took us down all sorts of interesting conversational paths. I also appreciate her handling of varying approaches to faith - that was well done.

I actually have a hard time pinning down what I didn't like about the book. If this makes any sense: it was too much a book that comes out of our particular culture and time. It felt like it's trying to say what everyone is trying to say. OK, it was far better done than most such statements are, but still - it felt like a clarion call to... to nothing.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story about a teen who encounters the homeless while working in a cafe. One of the homeless customers, cursed with an ability to identify people by their smells, notices that she has a "presence" and the smell of roses. She then "heals" another homeless man. The story of this "miracle" spreads like wildfire and before she can realize what is happening, people are hailing Francesca as an incarnation of the Virgin Mary. Francesca is caught up in the excitement and discovers that she has become pregnant without having had intercourse. Her mother is desperate to protect her from the hordes of followers who want to either be healed or cash in on her fame. A book that explores how faith and delusion can sometimes intersect, often in the worst possible way.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn: A Novel by Janis Hallowell. This book had me engrossed from the very beginning. The main character Francesca is an 8th grade girl who often times finds herself feeling completely alone. Her parents are divorced. Her dad and his girl friend have moved to Italy and her Mom is always away for work. She spends a lot of time at her neighbor, Ronnie's, cafe with her best friend Sid.

So when a homeless man who frequents the cafe, Chester, has an epiphany and decides believes Francesca is the Blessed Virgin because she smells like roses; he deems himself her protector.