The Keeper of Dreams [Hardcover]

Peter Shann Ford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2000

In the Australian desert, a sacred stone that contains codes and carvings of the Abortigines' most powerful creation stories is stolen. The Aborigine elders know that if the stone is not returned and the theft not punished, their people will die. Thus the search begins for a ritual assassin who can hunt down and kill the thieves. Chosen is Dr. Robert Erhard, a full-blooded Aborigine adopted as a baby by a white couple, who now works as a scientist in Houston. But even in the midst of this "civilised" world, Robert is haunted by visions and dreams that call him back to his homeland on a mission to avenge his tribe's most holy spirit. Keeper of Dreams is a fascinating novel that blends gripping fiction with the legends and myths of an ancient culture.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Keeper of Dreams is a juggler's novel: gods, men, kangaroos, tycoons, Japanese soldiers, and Martian robots (to name a few) tumble crazily through the story like a motley assortment of knives and beanbags. When Owen Bird, an amoral Australian billionaire, conspires to steal a tjurunga, or sacred stone, from an Aboriginal tribe, he sets in motion a timeless ritual of revenge. Unless the stone is recovered and the thief punished, the tribe's elders know that their people will die. They must summon the powers of a kudaitja,, or spirit-assassin, to avenge their people and bring Bird to justice. The chosen assassin is a man who knows both the ancient and modern worlds: Robert Erhard is a NASA scientist and a full-blooded Aborigine. His response to the call of the elders--first reluctant, then impassioned--leads him on a grim quest through the outback. He hunts not only the thief, but also his own memories, as his ritual burden moves him back to tribal and individual origins:

He felt himself shifting through a blazing membrane. On one surface he was Robert Erhard, scientist, designer and guide of robotic creatures bound for other planets. On the other, he was Tjilkamata, of the Spiny Anteater Dreaming, keeper of all his people's primal stories and songs. He drifted like a slow-moving whirlwind, churning from core to rim, feeling himself cross the membrane from one identity to the other and back. He felt emptiness at his center, and into its space, he sensed another presence, the avenging spirit of Wanampi striving to take possession of him.

Peter Shann Ford has produced a novel whose antipodean appeal largely outweighs several regrettable flaws. The lesser of these lapses is Ford's tendency to allow his authentic descriptions of Aboriginal tribal life to drift into sentimental paeans of praise, whose obvious earnestness does little to dispel the uneasy feeling that these powerful people are trapped in a saccharine made-for-TV movie. More significant, however, is the novel's problematic structure: Ford leaps across time and space, juxtaposing event and character to flesh out his characters' histories. His decision was inspired perhaps by the prismatic character of Aboriginal myth and mores, in which past and present infuse one another. Unfortunately, the jarring transitions slow the plot (which is, when allowed to unfold naturally, a real juggernaut) to a funereal pace.

Despite these hiccups, The Keeper of Dreams is that rare creature: an original, often gripping, thriller. That it dares to have a message as well as a story is to its author's everlasting credit. --Kelly Flynn

From Publishers Weekly

With the exotic and harsh background of the modern Australian outback, Ford's debut novel spins a complex yarn of aboriginal mysticism, hocus-pocus and revenge. When the sacred stone of a long-suffering aborigine tribe is stolen, the tribe's wise men invoke ancient magic to punish the thieves and hasten the totem's return. The sacred relic is the foundation of the tribe's holy spirits and must be recovered or the tribe will perish. After aborigine sorcerers conjure death spells, the lackeys holding the stone start to drop in the acrid dust of Australia's northwestern deserts. However, the brains behind the theft is multibillionaire Australian media mogul Owen Bird, whose wealth, greed and arrogance will require special magic to combat. Ford suspends credibility as the sorcerers telepathically summon Dr. Robert Erhard, a full-blooded aborigine who was adopted by a white Australian family as a child, when aboriginal youngsters were forcibly taken from their families. Now a scientist with NASA, Erhard lives in Houston, but he hears the call of his people from 10,000 miles away, and realizes that his blood tribe is in trouble. Ghosts and hallucinations propel him back to Australia to serve as the tribe's most powerful weapon, an invisible ritual assassin. This long spiritual journey is disrupted by tangents that flashback seemingly every detail of Erhard's life, with excursions into the convoluted and melodramatic lives of the supporting characters. The final confrontation is a humdinger of suspense and excitement, but getting there requires patience. What Ford does best is to vividly portray aboriginal life, traditions and religion, and the persistent racism directed against them for generations. Agent, Robbie Anna Hare of Goldfarb & Associates. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1ST edition (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684872196
• ISBN-13: 978-0684872193
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,676,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning imagery, resonant characters, compelling storyline., September 26, 2000

By 

L. Colvin (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Keeper of Dreams (Hardcover)

This tale simply draws one into the world of the Outback. I've read several fictional accounts of life among the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, but this one is truly beautiful. I read it in an afternoon; I simply was entranced with the lush prose and depth of character portrayed. I look forward to the next novel from this author!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars first time out, a masterpiece, September 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Keeper of Dreams (Hardcover)

The theft of a precious artifact results in a thrilling dual between the Australian Auborigines who owned it and the highroller who stole it to add to his collection. Beautiful descriptions bring the Australian outback and Ayers Rock dramatically to life. spellbinding! Based on authentic aboriginal belifs and practices. Read it. You won't be dissapointed

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational - combines best of Asimov and Tielhard de Chardin, October 5, 2005

By 

Harry Franklin (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Keeper of Dreams (Hardcover)

This is a brilliant novel. It has a daring premise and vivid descriptions from secret rituals in the mysterious red desert of central Australia to the real science and dazzling technology of NASA's next great mission to Mars. This is an adventure that races from the bleeding edge of high technology to our most profound primal origins. The insights into Aboriginal tribal life and beliefs are stunning and the ending is a cliffhanging, nail-gnawing climax to a very thoughtful thriller. Stock up on rations and buckle in for a fabulous read.