Bon Voyage, Agnes Mary

In this stirring and enchanting book, Banks tells the intensely human story of a dying woman, Agnes Mary, whose recordings in her diary reveals the struggles and devotion of her fellow travelers in distant, foreign lands and leaves a legacy of hope and encouragement to all who read this tale of guts and valor. This saga is based on our hero's extensive diary; her near-motionless body that lay in bed, soon to remain forever still; her weak voice that will before long become silent, with faint breath that in a little while would be snuffed out. Her loving sister, Sister Dorothea, uttered Agnes Mary's last words for her with deep affection and honor. Then, there is Verona at the center of the narrative as she relates events in the life of our hero, Agnes Mary, and her companions on their journey toward their destiny. Banks has created a powerful and timely presentation of a story that transcends the farce, travesty, and pettiness that enables waning morals in today's society. Her purpose is to create a noble and pure work-one of substance and remarkable charm. Set in a suburb of Cincinnati several years ago, this novel reminds us how life slips through our hands and passes quickly away and is gone, yet when we understand these natural occurrences, life gets easier.