The Child Goddess

by Louise Marley

Anthropologist-priest Isabel Burke is called in by the ExtraSolar Corporation to travel to the barren planet of Virimund to investigate some unusual, seemingly human children, born on Virimund, who do not age, and comes to the aid of one mysterious little girl, captured by ExtraSolar, which hopes to discover the secret of her ageless existence. By the author of The Maquisarde. Reprint.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks

343 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 31, 2004

About the author

Louise Marley, a former concert and opera singer, has published nineteen novels. As Louise Marley, she writes fantasy and science fiction, including THE TERRORISTS OF IRUSTAN and THE CHILD GODDESS. Writing as Cate Campbell, she published the historical trilogy BENEDICT HALL.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 world stays habitable (the Carbon Cycle should be broken and all oxygen should get locked up). And how you would have star-flight and still have humans, un-enhanced, very mortal, with our same life expectancy.
The story, however, blew me away. A child is found on the refueling world, and returned to Earth against her will. The protagonist is a woman Catholic priest (why the cover art didn't include a collar is beyond me) and anthropologist sent to be her guardian. The company that owns the refueling operation wants the child for something else, something medical, and isn't sharing that information with the protagonist. Very early in the story you get mystery, tension, and powerful emotion.
One relationship did bother me. That of the corporate CEO and one if its doctors. The doctor seemed outclassed by the rest of the main characters, I never did figure out why he was allowed to stay on the job when the CEO should have had better talent at her beck and call.
However, each mystery that is resolved leads to a further and more profound one. By the time the book is wrapping up, the reader has followed these characters though many intense changes.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jeannen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. A beautiful story about love, faith, and the desire to feel human, that just happens to be set in a speculative future. This one has a more hopeful ending than "The Terrorists of Irustan" which I seem to need right now.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 to leave spoilers. But overall, I would happily read it again, and recommend it to others.

[Sylvia Sybil · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 religious answers to their scientifically based questions. Neither viewpoint is "correct", nor complete.

[Kerith · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 and the meaning of soul into a riveting story that I couldn't put down. Must read more Louise Marley! The Terrorists of Irustan was also excellent.

[Nomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 suggest bits of original ideas that could have been exciting in the hands of a "crackpot craftsman"-type worldbuilder like Alan Dean Foster or Charles Maine.

[Miss Ginny Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Lettie Prell · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know an author is good at depicting a character when you get so swept up in the character’s emotions that you actually get angry along with the character! Isabel tries so hard to get Oa to be treated well, and when the seemingly heartless Dr. Paolo Adetti does everything in his power to stymie her, it drove me nuts. I actually hated Adetti, and it was almost difficult to read the portions where it became clear that no really, he’s human too, and not an evil person. There’s only one character who could be seen as being relatively one-sidedly bad, and she manages to remain interesting by owning her lack of repentance for her choices.

The relationship between Simon and Isabel is engaging: Isabel broke her vow of celibacy with Simon, and Simon broke his marriage vows with Isabel. But the two are genuinely in love and trying to do the right thing now. Oa is also a fantastic character, descended from an old African tribe that lost contact with Earth before colonizing the planet Virimund. She’s a child, and yet not a child. She raises many questions about what a person would be like if they could never grow up. Jin-Li Chung and Matty Phipps are great examples of side characters done right. They have implied backstory and plenty of personality. Jin-Li tries to help just because it’s the right thing to do, and ends up getting sucked into the trip to Virimund that Isabel must take. Matty was the only friendly face Oa saw on her journey to Earth.

Isabel’s religion is a real and present thing for her, and in some ways makes it easier for her to help Oa. This is handled without heavy-handed moralizing or implications that one religion is necessarily better (or worse) than another. It’s one of the better depictions of religion I’ve seen.

Content warning for some child abuse and a rape mention.

Overall I was totally sucked into this book, and stayed up late to finish reading it.


Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/03/r...

[David Grierson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is science fiction without any hard science but that was not overly distracting for me. The story and characters are much better than I thought I was going to get after scanning some reviews elsewhere. Marley’s skillful story telling leads you one way for two hundred pages and you think you have the measure of her plot. I found myself wrong anyway. On that spiritual journey you get a healthy dose of mystery, tension, and powerful emotions.

Marley weaves science fiction, science, medicine and faith along with a crises of faith via an unrequited love (in the physical sense) and the thorny question of what is a soul? What makes a soul and human complete? She sets the novel in a speculative future and her narration is quite riveting, particularly her main protagonists who are complicated characters in their own way.

One of the main characters is a child, (see title!) I appreciated how Marley presented her point of view and ‘exposure’ to a modern society. The author used that and other chaaracter's POV as a ‘drip-feed’ technique of minor detail that gradually builds a bigger, touching story.

Applause to Louise Marley for a high bar in prose.

[Kate Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read from Louise Marley. It’s set in the same system as The Terrorists of Irustan, and I was pleased by the reappearance of Jon-Li. Marley is really good at characterisation - strong women characters in particular. Isabel, like other Marley heroines, is defined by her purpose, duty, career, faith, rather than her love for a man. The contradiction between female independence and romantic love is one of Marley’s themes, and always done without sentimentality. Another theme is that of justice and humanity as opposed to corporations and greed, and individual powerlessness in the face of these forces. This works well at points, creating tension and driving the plot. For me, these contradictions are too easily resolved, meaning the plots can lose their tension and drift off a bit. But this is one of those books I start and don’t want to put down, and still feel the shadow of the world and characters in my mind once I’ve stopped reading.

[Rainbowgardener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Louise Marley's writing. This book is a follow up to Terrorists of Irustan. Not a sequel, but just uses a little bit of the same framework and one continuing character. She always has a lot to say, about authoritarian heirarchies, women's roles, how societies change, etc. but the message does not over-rule the story and the characters.

This one is set on a different planet, interesting because very limited land masses. It was an Earth Colony centuries ago and got abandoned. Now under the influence of the planet and its creatures, the earth colonists have changed in significant ways. When they are re-discovered they have to adapt to earth culture and vice versa. Very moving. 4.5 stars really.

[Queen Coloman · Rating 1 out of 5]

One third of this book could be cut out without the slightest impact on the story. I don’t just mean it was superfluous, I mean it was direct repetition- the same inner monologues repeated in different locations.

Most characters either had shallow or no story arcs, ending the story as two-dimensionally as they began it (even dying didn’t change Simon’s character much). Isabelle makes the most progress, managing the heroic task of forgiving herself for breaking up a marriage and marking the occasion by dropping in to offer condolences to the scorned wife, whose great crime was being a dull school teacher instead of a bald nun.

[carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I purchase this as part of a Story Bundle and had no preconceptions. I really loved the world-building, character development, and even the plot. There are a couple small things that keep it from being five stars - some moments where it has a little white savior feel and some things that could have been dialed in a bit more. That said, it is rare to read a book where multiple characters change/grow, and where children are respected and their voices heard. I read through the entire book in one sitting on a plane which tells you how engaging it was.

[Danyel · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Aliki Ekaterini Chapple · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is some solid science fiction featuring space exploration, corporate hijinks, and a science mystery to be solved. Great characters, good plot. I admit the Catholicism was a bit much for me, even with a priestly order of women, but it’s an intelligent, well-written book for all that, and I’m going to look for more by this writer.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A science fiction novel that reads like a lush fantasy, beautiful sweeping landscapes, wonderfully human characters and a fascinating premise. Religion and science fiction seem to speak to me thematically and I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration this novel took into these realms.

[Jeanmarie Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful novel, with richly real characters in an imaginative world beyond our own.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel about love, greed, God, forgiveness and humanity. The tension and conflict are all emotional, but still compelling. Graceful, as in full of grace.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than i thought i would.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman priest/anthropologist tries to rescue a human child from a lost colony from the clutches of an interstellar corporation.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a woman protecting and advocating for a human child from a lost colony on an alien planet. There is some interesting alien biology and foreign culture, some politics and fighting against big greedy business, and a lot of personal relationships. The main character is a strong female but not the uber-competent infallible type, which is refreshing. This book references The Terrorists of Irustan and shares a prominent character with that book, so I was glad I read that first. However, that character doesn't really have much development in this book so there's no real penalty for reading this first.

The central plot and idea is pretty solid, and this is essentially a mystery. The delay before revealing the core idea behind the story is a bit drawn out, but after that the story moves more naturally. I am particularly impressed by Marley's portrayal of religious faith in this book; either she gets it or just respects it a lot, but it's sensitive and realistic from the perspective of someone with religious faith. I'm a little surprised to see that, because the other book I've read by the same author (again, The Terrorists of Irustan) didn't come off that way to me. In that one, the Muslim-adapted religion felt very stereotyped and one-sided. In this one, maybe it's one-sided the other way, with little actual conflict over the main character's religious faith.

The lost colony is interesting and comes originally from an African country. I worry a bit that the story implies a regression to primitivism where it wouldn't if the colony had originated from a different culture on Earth, and that it's unfair and stereotypical to pick an African culture for that part of the story. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it and it was definitely a science fiction story worth getting into if you're looking for something other than conflict with aliens, wars, and space opera.

[Lenora Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read fantasy for escape, and once again, Ms. Marley has given me a great escape. I enjoyed reading about the Magdalenes, and like another reviewer, wondered why they clung to the celibacy idea; however, if they were trying to be accepted, it's understandable. It was hard enough just getting female priests accepted. One step at a time.

The protagonist is Mother Isabel Burke, a priest with faults. Serious faults with which she must cope. She is, alas, very, very human. And that humanness comes out when she is assigned as guardian to child from another planet. It comes out when she again meets the man she loves. It comes out as she deals with people. Mostly, Mother Burke is filled with love.

To help protect her young charge, she returns with Oa to her home planet, from which she was kidnapped, to unravel the secret of the anchen and to help them become persons if they so desire.

Although the protagonist is a Priest, this is not a religious book. It is a great adventure in which the religion of the protagonist plays a role, and helps solve the riddle.

Like another reviewer, I hope we see more books about Mother Burke, and Jin-Li Chung (nice to meet an old from again from Irustan).

A fun read. A two-sit read. Read it, you'll like it.

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 home planet has been difficult. It is discovered that Oa and some others like her on her planet do not age. Why they do not and how to solve this problem, is taken on by Simon. Isabelle and Simon it seems have been romantically involved in the past event though she is a priest and he is married. So there is also some romantic tension in the story.
This is a fairly peaceful story. There are not robot wars or anything like that. However, there are still some tense moments in the story.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made my ladies book club read this one, too. They loved it.

The premise was amazing. I don't think I've ever seen a plot similar to this one in all my years as a science fiction reader. What makes Oa, a pariah among her people? She lives too long as child and cannot breed. Picked up by the local science folks, who don't mean to be bad but mean to hold the girl captive until they figure out her "fountain of youth" thing.. she is rescued by nun Isabelle. I love Isabelle and wish she had been my mother..patient, calm, wise. Isabelle had a back story with Simon, who enters the story to also defend Oa from harm, ie, further testing that might hurt or damage her.

Honestly, the story held only a couple of disappointments to me. I thought Isabelle and Simon shouldn't have been so "holy". But then, I'm a powerful fan of physical love and less a fan of the god on the throne.

But I was incredibly thrilled for Oa that she did indeed get to "grow up".

Marley is a true genius.

[Heather Lee Lee Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love science fiction, and Louise Marley’s novel The Child Goddess is the first book of hers that I have read. It goes beyond a futuristic first contact story, it’s a compelling sci-fi read that weaves themes of different views of spirituality and questions of medical ethics throughout world-wide and personal dilemmas. The story flows well throughout different settings and different point of view characters. It’s a delightful read even for those who might not generally read science fiction.

The characters of Isabel (Mother Burke), Oa, and Simon are so vividly and passionately written that the reader is personally touched by their interpersonal interactions as they strive toward answers to an ancient and dangerous mystery. I really do hope for a sequel to this novel, as I fell in love with the characters and am interested in seeing how their paths continue on.