Description
From Publishers Weekly In the Gears' latest epic about pre-Columbian North Americans (after People of the Lakes), a wealth of rich historical detail once again bolsters a pulsing narrative set in a turbulent time. Here, the Gears vivify the Windover people, who-as explained in a foreword-lived in Florida about 8000 years ago and, curiously, were "not closely related to any other Native American population." Cottonmouth, the cruel leader of the Standing Hollow Horn clan, and his warriors kill the children of Musselwhite, and capture her husband, Diver. Musselwhite is the soul and great warrior of the Windy Cove clan-as well as the mother and murderer of Cottonmouth's young son. Despite his hatred for Musselwhite, Cottonmouth desperately hopes that she will try to rescue Diver-not only so that he can kill her but because he believes that with her will come a "Lightning Boy" (created when a lightning bolt penetrates a woman's womb) who will help him during a forthcoming cleansing of the world. The Lightning Boy turns out to be the 15-year-old Pondwader, an albino who is married off to the grieving Musselwhite (who believes Diver dead) as payment for his mother's gambling debt. But when Musselwhite learns that Diver is alive, she sets out on a dangerous rescue mission that reaches a dramatic climax. Though perhaps a bit less interesting than the authors' previous works, this tale about love and the struggle to survive will not disappoint their fans. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist This epic historical romance is a fascinating, well-told tale of ancient superstition and culture, set in Florida approximately 8,000 years ago, amid a hauntingly eerie, mystical, and primeval landscape. The story begins in a village besieged by enemy tribes, where Musselwhite, a revered woman warrior and leader, must face her archenemy Cottonmouth after he has captured her beloved husband and murdered her son and is now determined to destroy her and the village. Through a series of events, Musselwhite meets and agrees to marry another husband, 15-year-old Pondwader, an albino, who because of his eyes, hair, and skin is both hated and feared as a "lightning boy," and together they face the dreaded enemy Cottonmouth. The Gears' thorough research and their experience as professional archaeologists lend credibility to their novel and contribute to its absorbing portrait of ancient life. Kathleen Hughes
Features & Highlights
- In pre-Columbian Florida, inhabitants of a fishing village are forced to confront their fears about Pondwader, a fifteen-year-old albino boy whom legends foretell will unleash a time of destruction on their people
