The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea

Set in Mexico, this book tells the story of Teresita Urrea, a young woman who becomes the Saint of Cabora. The story is long and documents her life from birth to her revelation as a saint and her meeting with God. Her father, who discovers of her existence much later, changes from a womanizer to a devout dad, all in the span of the novel.
"Every moment of your life, every instant, looks like this. Do you see? You are always in a universe of choices. Any moment of your life can go in any direction you choose." - Huila, her nurse and longtime companion in the novel.