Fire in a Windless Place

Dr. David McCauley, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical, revisits Thailand to study Buddhist forms of meditation in which all inflammatory mental conflicts cease. While in Bangkok, he meets again his former lover Maia, the beguiling Eurasian choreographer; his rival for her affection, the wealthy Giles Corbett; his estranged monastic son, Alex. Complicating the scene are David's visiting fiancee, Helena; Stefano, a Jesuit slum priest and doctor; Maia's ex-lover, Andrew. The Thai scenario is gorgeous, the characters richly complex and just as dubious. Like the sultry climate, they are all - in varying degrees- "in heat". Stefano alone knows how to pull in his fires and be (literally) cool. His is the one-pointed flame that burns in the absence of wind.

Joseph Roccasalvo is a standing member of the Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard, and holds a Ph.D. from that university. He lives and writes in New York City.