Most mythologies rely on vengeful gods in order to demonstrate the heroic impulse, in a vicious cycle of violence. With so much violence within American entertainment, du Houx has focused on making the gods in Manitou, A Mythological Journey in Time, compassionate guides. She has identified the need for a mythology that helps the adventurers discover their creative potential, while bringing American society together.
Du Houx has redefined the roles of the gods. Having them ready to defend democratic rights, they restore the faith that we all make a difference and that the future can be a momentous reality for positive change, if we take the right actions.
All the gods and goddesses in Manitou have traditional roots in cultures around the world, which makes them accessible to many people as they welcome the reader into Manitou, the Land of Living Imagination. Here, the stories, the comic performances and musical excursions, in the cosmically balanced atmosphere of the powers of nature, bring home some deep realities about the social world of Earth.
The adventurers discover more about themselves, music, nature, culture, history, law, democracy and community. The gods are heros by becoming friends to the young adults and treating them as equals. Throughout the novel one experiences elements of the American Indian vision quest, with displays that highlight the wonders of the natural world.
Emily du Houx, age 15, who has contributed a short story within the novel, reports: "Pages of vivid images plunge you into the World of Living Imagination. Colors and images spill off the pages and fill the room. Worlds come together to make descriptions that paint clear pictures in your mind and, as you read, an atmosphere filled with the excitement of adventure and the calmness of Manitou comes alive." She goes on to say, "You simply forget about potential dragons, you are wound up in a magical place. Amazingly, as you experience Manitou among these three-dimensional scenes and characters, there are lessons."
