Alma is set on writing another of her bestselling family sagas, but when she discovers the story of 22 orphan boys who were selected in 1803 to act as RcarriersS of the smallpox vaccine in an attempt to vaccinate Spain's American colonies, Alma's newest novel develops into something very different. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Fiftysomething novelist Alma Huebner is finding many excuses not to work on the book for which she's already received a hefty advance. She is staying home in Vermont while her husband, Richard, a manager for a humanitarian aid association, has been assigned to work at an AIDS clinic in Alma's native Dominican Republic. The story she is considering is that of the 1803 Balmis Expedition, which brought smallpox vaccine from Spain to its possessions in the Americas and the Pacific in the first major public health project in the New World. Alma relives the expedition through the account of Doña Isabel, the mistress of the Spanish orphanage whose wards were the carriers of the vaccine. When interwoven with Alma's contemporary tale, it mirrors Alma's experience as her husband's clinic is overtaken by rebels and he is taken hostage. Blanca Camacho's narration is splendid; she reads Alma's story energetically, conveying clearly all of her emotions. She uses a different voice for Doña Isabel's narrative and pronounces all the Spanish words and names with a beautiful Castilian accent. A compelling tale and a good addition to popular collections.—Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion-Benton P.L., IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information