Sophomore jinx? Hardly. With “Angels,” Donohue delivers a magical tale of love and redemption that is as wonderfully written as it is captivating. But let’s start with captivating.

While some readers might liken Donohue’s penchant for mystical realism to that of novelist Alice Hoffman, any sweeping comparisons shortchange both writers, whose immense gifts bear separate and distinct literary imprimaturs. Still, he shares Hoffman’s uncanny ear for capturing the libretto of childhood. . .