In the present day, this is a story of an woman archaeologist's study of an uncovered ancient cave. Intertwined are the stories of First Woman and her descendants: The Topaa Indian tribe, the origin of the cave's paintings, the Spanish occupation of California territory through San Francisco's heyday and the Gold Rush. Each story is a mini-gem in itself. The overall story is one of conflict between present-day Indian tribes demanding respect for ancient remains, and the interest of science, which demands study, understanding, and proper restoration to the rightful descendants of First Woman. Add a dash of romance ... and you have a great read!
This was pleasant, light âreadâ while driving. I agree with 'jessibud', the voice of this reader wasn't as compelling as some of the others readers of past audio books. However, it was still a good "read".
This is the story of: (1) the history of a cave, as disclosed through an archeological find, and the settling of southern CA, (2) the archeologist, Erika, hired to analyze the finds in the cave, (3)the conflict between those who want to preserve and those who hire the bulldozer in the name of progress, and (4)the lineage and the strength of the women who came before.
The concept of piecing together the history of a place on the basis of the artifacts discovered onsite is totally fascinating to me. The most enjoyable parts of this story for me were puzzles presented, as artifacts were discovered which didn't follow the historical timeline of the site as understood by modern historians. The assumptions made and conclusions drawn could never tell the whole story, which could only be revealed by those who lived in the past. For me, the best parts of the book were the drifting back to the past and the lives of the women who were tied to the cave and the area around what would one day be Los Angeles. I found the shifts a bit jarring though. It would take me a minute to absorb the transistion. I really wasn't much interested in the lives of the present day characters (a bit too âromance novelâ for me), but I thought the way Wood tied everything and everyone together at the end of the novel to be well done.
The story also reconfirmed my belief that Christian missionaries the early European conquerors arrogantly trampled too many belief systems under their heels in their quest to save souls. Whole histories and creation stories disappeared forever. Whole tribes and native peoples lost their roots. I find that very sad.
