In this deceptively simple tale, David Unger, an aging circus magician, recounts his life that began in the late 1800's in Colonial West Africa. His father has abandoned his medical career to mine for gold, along with many others who have fallen under the lure of Africa's riches. David's mother has since left the family and it comes as no surprise when David, who has entered a naval academy, becomes obsessed with Maud King, a British explorer who is 16 years David's senior.
David's life unfolds, spanning two continents, and giving him such adventures as working with and befriending Ghandi, taking part in the Zulu Rebellion, and training in both medicine and magic. But, it is his total and complete devotion to the elusive Maud that provides the principle focus to this memorizing novel.
Told in a style that is understated and elegant, Conjuring Maud has that ability to transport the reader to another place and time in an imaginative portrayal of the longings of the spirit and the triumphs of the heart.
