Minerva Herrera, a strong believer in the Catholic faith, marries Nestor McCorley, who is reluctant to believe in God given his years of religious schooling. Despite their religious differences, the couple begin their lives together happily, and with a child on the way. 

Toward the end of her pregnancy, Minerva encounters a woman at church who utters a curse at her and her unborn child. Weeks later, strange and unsettling events occur, leading Minerva to believe that the curse is real. She thinks that her husband’s lack of faith has allowed for such a curse to make its way into their lives. 

Worried about his wife’s health, and about the stability of his marriage, Nestor asks a priest to help investigate. As he searches for answers, Nestor discovers horrible truths concerning him and his family. 

Stephen O’Connor was raised in Lowell. He is the author of the Loom Press published short story collection, Smokestack Lightning, and novels such as The Spy in the City of Books. O’Connor has worked many different types of jobs over the years, but he settled in as a high school teacher for more than two decades. He attended graduate programs at University College Dublin and UMass Boston. Despite having lived and worked overseas, O’Connor now resides back in Lowell, Massachusetts with his family.