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Author Anne Gray creates a fascinating alternative world where the descendants of interplanetary colonists have built their society in a rich fusion of advanced technologies and ancient traditional ways of life. Sixteen-year-old Dovella is an engineering apprentice of great potential and talent, though her true vocation is for healing, for which she has a rare and extraordinary Gift. In four days, she is to go through the most important ceremony of her life, the Rites of the Healer, to join the ranks of the Healer's Guild. But the Village is thrown into turmoil when something goes wrong with the Sacred Machine that supplies electricity. Dovella finds herself faced with a grand dilemma: only she can undertake the arduous journey to the Source Lake to fix the problem before disaster strikes. However, to do so she must miss the long-anticipated Rites of the Healer. What's more, the quickest route to the Source lies through the territory of the Hill Folk, sworn enemies of the Villagers. But as Dovella comes into contact with the people of the hills, she begins to discover that the Village history books tell but one side of the story. As she struggles to overcome her own prejudices, and forfeits her lifes dream in order to remain true to herself, she learns that within great sacrifice the seeds of fulfillment may be found. Engaging, fast-paced and wholly absorbing, Rites of the Healer masterfully explores the importance of facing one's fears, the necessity of resisting oppression and the inescapable burden of making hard choices. Gray captures perfectly the dilemmas and joys of the contemporary teen in this thought-provoking allegory for modern times.