The Children's Wing

June M. Blurton is a retired speech pathologist.

The narrator of this far-fetched story is a high-ranking federal
official whose 6-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with terminal
cancer. During his visits to her in hospital, he becomes aware of Max, a
boy on the ward who appears to have developed miraculous powers that are
both curative and destructive. A battle of wits between the good guys
(including a computer expert who looks like the Michelin man) and the
bad guys (a sleazy politician and the Armed Forces) ensues. There is
also a love interest, but it is not an important part of the story.

Translated from the French, The Children’s Wing is fast-moving and
tension-filled. The characters are interesting and well developed. The
places they visit, ranging from Northern Ontario and Ottawa to Jamaica
and Cape Cod, are vividly described, and the language flows easily.
Unfortunately, the novel is seriously undermined by its fantastical
premise.