Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I obtained Sacred Ground at the urging of a friend who lives on the east coast. She called me at the beginning of September to let me know that she had just read a wonderful novel that contained the story of Southern California.
I ordered and received the book a couple days after that, and it has served as a way to temporarily escape the grief and shock of the events that took place a few days later in New York, D.C. and Pennsylvania. I would recommend it if for no other reason.
Sacred Ground tells the story of an archaeologist (Erica Tyler) who becomes involved in a dig in the middle of a wealthy community. An earthquake has caused a long buried cave to become accessible. As Erica Tyler makes her way through the layers of soil in the cave, she must also make her way through the political labyrinth that is the reality of modern Native American cultural debate.
The story of the excavation is intertwined with the stories of the women of the Topaa tribe, a hunter gatherer tribe founded by "First Mother," Marimi. As each layer of soil reveals its contents, it also reveals the story of successive generations of Marimi's female descendants who carry her characteristics.
There are two things I wish the author had done. First, I felt the story of the "First Mother" could have used with a bit more fleshing out. Her initial struggles are well detailed, but we are left to imagine how the stories and traditions of the Topaa tribe, the ones that are passed on from generation to generation, are created. It would also have been interesting to read how her teachings to her great-granddaughter differed from those she rebelled against.
The second thing is that I wish the author had included a map showing the locations of significant events in the book. As it was, after the first couple chapters, I read the rest of the book with a AAA Southern California freeway folding map in hand.
The above are minor quibbles, however. The book as a whole contains an incredible amount of historical detail that touches upon most major aspects of California history. We learn, not only about the way-of-life and traditions of ancient California tribes, but also about the mission period, the settlement of Los Angeles, the California gold-rush, and about the competing interests of Native Americans, scholars, private collectors and developers. The book allowed me to see the issues involved from a number of different perspectives.
I give the book 4 stars for plot, 5 stars for entertainment and educational value. I have lived in Southern California for most of my life, and this book helped me to better understand the place I live. Sacred Ground gets my strong recommendation.
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