Madonna O’Dwyer is not the mother of Jesus and not a sex-powered pop diva. She’s a pretty ordinary girl, who works hard in a pizza shop and lives with her drama queen sister and her acoholic father.
Madonna’s mother died not long after she gave her the name she struggles with. The loss of a mother she never knew is a raw, black hole inside Madonna.
Now, at seventeen, Madonna’s friends are convinced she has an extraordinary gift – a gift of healing. Madonna isn’t convinced – she isn’t extraoordinary. She makes pizzas and washes dishes. Why would her hands have the gift of healing others, when she herself is so badly in need of healing?
The Other Madonna is an outstanding young adult read, combining humour and initimacy in a delightful blend. It is most suited to teens aged 14 and up.
The Other Madonna, by Scot Gardner
Pan Macmillan, 2003