Neil Connelly

Do You Believe?

 There was a time when Anderson Grant believed.  She never doubted the goodness of the people at her church. She trusted both her parents.  And she felt unshakeable faith in a kind and all-powerful God. 

But then a freak accident nearly killed Daniel, her three year old brother.  After his rescue, strange rumors about Daniel began spreading around town.  The faithful claimed he could intercede with Jesus, cleanse a soul, heal the sick, even raise the dead.

The media trumpeted Daniel as a Miracle Boy, and the number of those believing in him swelled. They descended on Anderson's small town, along with a horribly scarred preacher and a deranged stalker.  Now Anderson is certain of only one thing:  she has to stop this.

With the help of her once-and-maybe-future boyfriend Jeff, she dreams up a dangerous scheme that will forever cast doubt on Daniel’s so-called divine gifts. If it works.

But as the plan comes together, the true believers grow more bold, the psycho stalker draws near, and the disfigured preacher challenges Anderson’s resolve.  She finds herself wrestling with her own beliefs in God and her brother, and she’s left wondering if what she really needs to save Daniel might just be a miracle of her own.

"The power and danger of religion receives a realistic, gutsy--and yet moving spiritual--examination in this ambitious and graceful drama.... a slim book that reads with miraculous speed." Daniel Kraus, Booklist (starred review)

" A thought-provoking examination of the power of faith and the human desire for a savior."   Kirkus Review

"Big questions of faith, vocation, the power of prayer, and the possibility of miracles weave throughout this provocative and suspenseful tale." Publisher's Weekly

"a rare and welcome portrait of a girl trying to navigate teenage angst, family dysfunction, and religious belief."  --Horn Book

"The Miracle Stealer has a story that enthralls from the very beginning and increases in suspense with each page.  What makes this book extraordinary, however, is the utterly believable and heartfelt portrayal of a young woman's search for a faith she can claim as her own."     --Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

"The Miracle Stealer is a riveting story about the conflict faith can cause between families and loved ones and the doubt it raises from deep inside us.  This novel will leave you breathless, wondering about the nature and possibility of miracles well after you've turned the last page."  --Donna Freitas, author of  The Possibilities of Sainthood and This Gorgeous Game