In an otherwise quiet village, a little girl with red hair and freckles named Shirley inspires a chain of events that cannot be explained by reason or scientific enquiry. Parents, friends, and neighbors are convinced by Shirley—often in spite of themselves—until everyone is swept away into a belief in the child’s miraculous power. The founding of Shirley’s Guild, designed to support the young girl, prompts a crusade as well as a national scandal, and Shirley’s godmother—the girl’s chief interpreter and witness—becomes responsible for scenes unimaginable since the Dark Ages. This striking novel offers an insight into the human need for beliefs and causes, however irrational.