Overall, I enjoyed the novel and thought the development of chracters throughout the novel superb.

I found the scene (starting 195) where Anne performs Alan's autopsy to be particularly interesting, as it illustrates the crossroads betwen faith and science. First off, let me say that I found it to be a little cliched that the one consistently focused on throughouot the book as "the non-beliver", Anne, also happens to be a doctor. I think this is cliched because society is constantly debating the contradiction between science and religion, especially in the creationism/evolution debate. I guess I was just disappointed that the most prominent "non-believer" was involved in science. I realize that Sofia Mendes was not a Jesuit, but I don't feel that her faith was focused on with as much inensity as that of Anne's.

When DW insists that there "has got to be a reason" that Alan died, and Anne shouts, "You want a reason? God wanted him dead" (197). She continues, "Why is that so hard to accept? Why is it that God ets all the credit for the good stuff, but it's the doctor's fault when shit happens? When the patient comes through, it's always,"Thank God," and when the patient dies, it's alwas blame the doctor. Just once in my life, just for the sheer novelty of it, it would be nice if somebody blamed God when the patient dies, instead of me" (198).

This was a very pivotal scene in the book for me, as it illustrates the constant examination throughout the novel of God's nature. Anne's comment underlines the fact that many followers of religion admit to not having known God but to believing in His existence. Even Emillio admits that he has spent his life doubting and wants God to cure him of this doubt. I think one of the major points of the novel is that since "God's ways are not our own" (I am paraphrasing here, as I couldn't find the quote), God's power is not necessarily as just and fair as many believe. This is partially why Emillio insists on carrying the burden of what happened on Rakhat. He has SEEN the power of God and His power to wage both delight and suffering. It is the difference between just believing something--making assumptions and accepting dogma about in which form something exists--and actually knowing something exists.