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Summary
Author Notes
Kathleen O'Neal Gear was born on October 29, 1954 in Tulare, California. She received a B.A. from California State University in Bakersfield and a M.A. from California State University in Chico. She conducted Ph.D. studies at the University of California in Los Angeles and did post-graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. In the 1980's, she worked as the Wyoming state historian, and later as the archaeologist for Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska. She received the federal government's Special Achievement Award twice for outstanding management of our nation's cultural heritage.
She married W. Michael Gear in 1982, and they have collaborated on a series of books for young adults. The theme of these books is ancient civilizations, and the titles include People of the Wolf, People of the Fire, People of the Sea, and People of the Lakes. They own Wind River Archaeologist Consultants, which is a private research firm. She has also written several books by herself including the Women of the West series.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this vigorous eighth entry (after People of the Lightning) in their First North Americans series, the Gears present both an exciting tale about the age-old quest for power and a fictionalized solution to the riddle of the sudden dissolution of Anasazi culture at its peak, nearly 1000 years ago. Set in the ancient Anasazi lands of what is now northwestern New Mexico during the 11th century, the story begins dramatically, with the ritual sacrifice of a pregnant slave by the high priest Sternlight. The narrative then leaps ahead 16 years to the annihilation of a village ordered by the dying Great Sun Chief of the Anasazi in order to thwart a prophecy that a stolen child will one day return and conquer the Straight Path people. All in the village are killed except Cornsilk, a maiden of 16 "summers" whose life becomes entwined with that of Poor Singer, apprentice to the great mystic Dune. The mystery shrouding their livesand their birthsis revealed in an exciting, skillfully crafted and fast-paced story that also serves as an engrossing look at ancient culture. Often, the simple focus on what these people ate, what they wore and how they worshipped proves just as interesting as the intricate plot. The dialogue sounds strangely modern at times, but this minor flaw is far outweighed by the passion and rich detail the authors lavish on this fine addition to their fascinating series. Author tour. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Big trouble in Talon Town, the name given by the archaeologically correct Gears (People of the Lightning, 1995, etc.) to a political and cultural center of the 12th-century Anasazi people in what is now New Mexico. Here, the dire careers of two ruthless rulers spawn murders and betrayals while mystery burgeons and romance flutters. This pounding-moccasin's saga is similar to the Gears' other books, in which the nobly inclined and spiritually attuned escape from evil heavies in high places. In this latest, Crow Beard, the absolute ruler of the Straight People (the Anasazi), is dying. Many years before, he had ordered the murder of a young woman of the Mogollon people, taken in a raid and enslaved. The court's holy man, the ``Sunwatcher'' Sternlight, is forced to do the deed. What Crow Beard doesn't know is that Sternlight allowed the girl's baby to live, with (eventually) important ramifications for all. The baby had been given to a couple of ``Made People'' (as opposed to the elite ``First People''), who raised her with their son. A horrible death awaits the boy and his father, while the girl, Cornsilk, now 14, flees for her life. She will eventually team up with Poor Singer, who's being whomped into spiritual shape as a disciple of a powerful shaman. Finally, all principals will cluster in Talon Town, where Crow Beard's nasty son Snake Head is plotting the death of his mother Night Sun, whom he suspects of bearing a child by the Warrior Chief Ironwood (he's on target there) and planning a secret alliance with the chief of the Mogolons, whose daughter was Sternlight's victim. Again, the Gears' people are anything but silent as they mull over their multiplying predicaments with expository earnestness. Still, the grue-soaked action, mystic journeying, and sentiment churn on efficiently against some rather nice scenery. More of the same, but with respectable anthropological underpinnings. (Author tour; radio satellite tour)
Booklist Review
The Gears ingeniously interweave archaeological fact with fiction, producing a stunning historical novel based upon the dissolution of the Anasazi empire. Renowned for their delicate artistry, magnificent architecture, and exceptional engineering skills, the Chacoan Anasazi thrived for hundreds of years in the arid American Southwest. However, the onset of an extended drought in the mid-twelfth century signaled the beginning of the end for this surprisingly sophisticated civilization. As resources continued to vanish, the Anasazi were also plagued by rival internal factions and external threats from other nations. Amid the confusion and chaos wrought by famine and warfare, two youngsters join forces in a hazardous quest for self-identity. While Cornsilk and Poor Singer seek to illuminate two pasts shrouded in secrecy, their mystical journey parallels the inevitable decline and collapse of the Anasazi culture. A grand, spellbinding adventure steeped in myth, legend, and spirituality. --Margaret Flanagan
Library Journal Review
Another tale of life in ancient North Americaa from a best-selling team. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.