Nicole Hennessey was raised in a devout Catholic home in Boston. Then in her teens, she discovered Buddhism, which moved her in a way far beyond her family's religion. Despite her dabbling in sex and drugs, Nicole seeks answers from Zen Buddhist teachings, or koans, and eventually finds a spiritual teacher. However, the guru's hold on Nicole evolves into something complicated and unyielding until finally she runs away to live near her brother in New York. Hurley's outstanding first novel tells an engrossing tale about a young woman seeking a spirituality that can only be found within herself. It also speaks to the motivations of those around her—some love her, some use her for their own needs, and others are too selfish to consider her desires at all. As she moves through tragedy after tragedy, Nicole continues to find strength in her Zen beliefs and makes a new life. VERDICT All lovers of great fiction with complex characters as well as anyone fascinated by narratives about religious cults will want this insightful story.—Andrea Kempf, formerly with Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS

The complicated and often treacherous relationship between religious master and student fuels Hurley's quietly chilling debut. In her early 20s, aimless, and grieving the recent death of her father, Nicole begins attending a zendo in the Boston area and is drawn to the master who dispenses wisdom there. He selects her out of the group for a secret sexual relationship, which continues for years. The bulk of the novel takes place 10 years after their meeting, with Nicole attempting to break away from their dysfunctional relationship by moving to New York, where her brother lives with his family, and making a life for herself. It backtracks through the intervening years and through Nicole's childhood and adolescence, when she began to doubt the Catholic faith she was raised on and became drawn to Buddhism as a replacement. Though Hurley occasionally enters the point of view of the otherwise-unnamed master, he remains a shadowy figure. Nicole's spiritual journey is realistically convoluted, and Hurley subtly brings out the parallels between the potential for sexual abuse in Buddhism and Catholicism. This thoughtful novel carefully untangles the often knotty interconnection between romantic and religious love, revealing the dangers inherent in each without denying their value. (Aug.)