Gargoyles: A Tale of Two Miracles

Pattison, Darcy. Gargoyles: A Tale of Two Miracles. 2018. 200p. ISBN 9781629441078. Available at FIC PAT on the library shelves.

The Cathedral of St. Stephens stands proudly in the middle of the town of Montague. Begun 48 years ago, the building itself is almost done, with only the west tower remaining to be built. Laurel’s father is the architect that currently supervises the completion of the other parts of the building, and he has drawn beautiful plans for a west tower that will complement the structure. Laurel has lived her whole life in the shadow of the Cathedral, and she knows every nook and cranny. She’s intimately familiar with every gargoyle that adorns the roof line, and she’s even begun carving her own.

With winter now over and the building season upon them, Laurel’s father is summoned to see the Cathedral’s priest. Father Goosens informs them that there will not be any money to build the western tower, neither this year nor in future years, and he considers the Cathedral done. This means that Laurel and her father will have to move at the end of the year to find another project to work on. Laurel is crushed. Only a miracle can provide enough money to save the tower.

Jassy works with his uncle. He is a Rover, a group of people who are on the move all year long, offering entertainment to cities and towns. When a gargoyle falls from the roof of the Cathedral, he saves Laurel’s father. Laurel returns the favor when she administers medicine to his uncle after his trained bear attacks and mauls his leg. Unfortunately, the infection has set in and only a miracle can save his life.

Master Gimpel has just been hired to complete the gargoyles that still need to be installed on the roof of the Cathedral. He shows Laurel a Troll’s Eye, a jewel that opens a door to another world and a secret cache of jewels guarded by a strange monster, the Hallvard. This world also contains a plant, a rare flower that can heal the wounds on Jassy’s uncle.

Needing two miracles, the teens decide to use the Troll’s Eye. There are rules, however, and the cost for using the Eye could in the end outweigh the benefits of recovering a part of the treasure. Faced with impossible odds, what choices will Laurel and Jassy make?