The Shrine at Altamira [Hardcover]

John L'Heureux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 1992

Maria's love for Russell gets her out of the ghetto, but as her love for him fades after the birth of their son, Russell's love takes a mad, possessive turn that consumes his being and endangers his entire family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

L'Heureux hits the bull's-eye with this compelling take on the fine line between cruelty and obsessive love, the story of a man's mutilation of his young son.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Russell Whitaker, a college dropout who lives with his alcoholic father, and Maria Alvarez, a high-school senior who lives with her embarrassingly ethnic mother, meet at a dance and fall in love. When they decide to marry, both are motivated by the same secret agenda: escaping their parents' influence. After the birth of his son, Russell realizes that Maria loves the baby more than she loves him. Soon he is drinking the way his father did and plotting ways to get even. L'Heureux, author of A Woman Run Mad (Viking, 1988), has been criticized in the past for sensationalism and emotional excess. In The Shrine at Altamira , loosely based on a nationally publicized case of child abuse, he manages to turn a horror story of almost tabloid proportions into a tightly structured fable of free will and determinism. Recommended.
- Edward B. St. John, Loyola Law Sch. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1ST edition (April 22, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670843261
• ISBN-13: 978-0670843268
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,494,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Incredible, September 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Shrine at Altamira (Hardcover)

I usually don't read fiction of this sort, but was overwhelmed when I was finished. In what I found to be a relatively short novel, L'Heureux manages to lead us through these three peoples lives, showing us not the hardships of what a loving, caring family goes through, but what can happen when that love becomes misguided and hateful. Yet, for all the traumatic experiences these people experience, they are the ones who are most just in their absolution, not those who live happily ever after. The atrocity of the actions and feelings the main characters inflict and endure make the outcome that much stronger. What could easily have been another Danielle Steele heartwarmer had the storyline been a bit tamer has become one of the greatest testaments to the power of love, and the destructive power that love carries with it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A NOVEL THAT I COULD NOT PUT DOWN FOR A SECOND!, August 18, 2000

By 

Gus Mauro "coolbrezze" (Brandon,mb) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shrine at Altamira (Paperback)

John l`heureux one of my faverite authors has once again created another spellbinding novel. A harrowing horrifying novel dealing with the darker side of love and it`s tragic effect on young people. This novel is beyond words its simply a must read for any John L`Heureux Fan.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars there are no words, February 17, 2000

By 

NancyBL "tigerinvienna" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shrine at Altamira (Paperback)

I can only say that this author's talent is beyond description... Well done and unforgettable.