Moon Dancer [Hardcover]

Margaret I. Rostkowski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1995

Accompanying their cousin on a camping trip, Mira and her older sister, Jenny, are surprised when Emily's attractive friend, Max, joins them, and the group senses the powerful presence of an ancient civilization in the canyon area of their journey.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This romantic adventure traces the discoveries of 16-year-old Mira when she joins her sister, college-student cousin and cousin's friend, Max, on a four-day hike researching rock paintings sketched in a pioneer woman's journal. Trekking through a Utah canyon with her three companions, Mira ponders the lives of those who once populated the area and feels an almost mystical connection to them as she reflects upon her own past. Although Rostkowski's (After the Dancing Days) most introspective passages are poetic and insightful, characterizations and some plot details are less than convincing (e.g., Mira's insistence on walking a mile and a half on a broken foot). The protagonist's infatuation with athletic, level-headed Max is all too predictable while her ambivalence toward family members (her flirtatious older sister, Jenny, and their mother, who seemingly "ran away" from home) lack development. Readers may feel that resolutions occur before conflicts are clearly established. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?Miranda, 15, and her sister Jenny, 17, accompany their cousin Emily and her college friend Max on a backpacking trip to Southern Utah. Emily's project is to scour Katie's Gulch for the examples of Hisatsinom (Anasazi) rock art that a pioneer woman recorded in her journal. Miranda, the narrator, who's definitely on the shore of a brave new world, explores the landscape, her sexual longings, and powerful connections to the past. Jenny, who's gorgeous and knows it, clashes with Emily, who's all business?confident, bossy, and effective. Max is the perfect image of a beautiful young man?he's full of possibility, and he and Mira become mirrors for one another. Rostkowski is wonderfully conscious of balance. Her style is friendly, frank, and light, but it's also spiritual, physical, and intense. She celebrates what is natural and joyful, but also accepts what is awkward and painful. Indeed, it's when Mira forgets her sense of balance and becomes consumed by desire that she slips and falls. And it's because she's grown in her understanding of herself that she knows exactly how to get up and keep going. The narrative is filled with that mixture of peace and heat and clarity and strangeness that hums in the air in Southern Utah. This coming-of-age novel is truly refreshing?it's mystical, and yet it's down-to-earth at the same time.?Vanessa Elder, School Library Journal
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Browndeer Pr; 1st edition (June 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152766383
• ISBN-13: 978-0152766382
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #857,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Was A Great Book!, November 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Moon Dancer (Paperback)

This was an excellent book! I highly reccomend it to anyone! The plot was pretty good, and the characters were well developed. You could really relate to the main character. The only downfall I think for some people was that not many people are interested in the subject matter, which is history and archeaology (sp?). It was, however, very interesting and enjoyable. If you haven't read this book yet, I suggest that you do!