Isabella and the tale of the unanswered questions

the long version

Isabella and the Tale of the Unanswered Question explores the question "where does the spirit go when the body hovers between life and death?" Layered story lines link the inner and outer worlds of an unnamed woman brutalized in a vicious urban attack. The first tracks the consequences of the assault as the woman slips into a coma. While those around her struggle with one reality, the woman's spirit begins a life review of a very different kind. Written as a dark fairy tale, the reader follows timid 11-year-old Isabella to the mysterious Lower World where animals speak, a vicious predator stalks her journey and a royal ribbon empowers the wearer to ask one million questions. Guided by the raven, Nightwalker, Isabella meets the king who sets before her the task of finding a priceless book that holds the key to the kingdom's fate. Isabella's journey is one of mystery, magic, terror, and surprising twists and revelations that leaves the reader guessing until the final page.