In Zimler's dazzling tale, John Zarco Stewart is an impish child of bold inquisitiveness, the unwitting inheritor of a faith shrouded in 300 years of secrecy. Dark and bitter events put an end to his innocence and almost destroy him, but he is healed by the arrival in his household of a mysterious young man from Africa. Midnight is a freed slave brought to Porto by John's seafaring father, and he becomes John's greatest friend, ultimately determining the course of his life. But as John grows to manhood Midnight is lost to him, Napoleon's armies invade Portugal, and John's fragile peace is shattered as he uncovers truths and lies hidden by those he most loved and trusted. At last he leaves for America, to hunt for hope in a land shackled by unforgivable sin. This magnificent new literary epic, a moving love story crossed with sweeping historical novel, is a worthy successor to Zimler's ''The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon'', published in 1998 to huge success, and so far selling over 60,000 copies with reviews to match. Pre-publication, ''Hunting Midnight'' has already attracted much attention and looks set to do even better.