People of the Silence: A Novel of the Anasazi (The First North Americans series, Book 8) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kathleen O'Neal Gear (Author), W. Michael Gear (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1997

At its pinnacle in A.D. 1150 the Anasazi empire of the Southwest would see no equal in North America for almost eight hundred years. Yet even at this cultural zenith, the Anasazi held the seeds of their own destruction deep within themselves....

On his deathbed, the Great Sun Chief learns a secret, a shame so vile to him that even at the brink of eternity he cannot let it pass: In a village far to the north is a fifteen-summers-old girl who must be found. Though he knows neither her name nor her face, the Great Sun decrees that the girl must at all costs be killed.

Fleeing for her life as her village lies in ruins, young Cornsilk is befriended by Poor Singer, a curious youth seeking to touch the soul of the Katchinas. Together, they undertake the perilous task of staying alive long enough to discover her true identity. But time is running out for them all--a desperate killer stalks them, one who is willing to destroy the entire Anasazi world to get to her.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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 lives?and their births?is 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.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Another tale of life in ancient North Americaa from a best-selling team.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 643 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812515595
• ISBN-13: 978-0812515596
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best novel of the prehistoric Southwest I've read, September 4, 2005

By 

Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: People of the Silence: A Novel of the Anasazi (The First North Americans series, Book 8) (Mass Market Paperback)

_____________________________________________

This is a fine, thick speculative historical-political novel about the prehistoric American Southwest, specifically the enigmatic Chaco culture and its neighbors during the early 12th century. This is an impressive book. It's well-researched, and features complex people, muddling through life, in cultures much different than our own. The Gears' characters are exceptionally well-drawn. They're presented sympathetically, but with warts and all. Besides history, there's romance, treachery, greed, slavery, rape, murder, humor, exotic religion, mystery.... and fine masonry. A great deal of fine masonry. Did I mention the murals? The masks? The macaws?

The Chaco phenomenon has been puzzling and fascinating people since the rediscovery of the Chaco Canyon ruins in the 19th century. I've followed the debate with interest [note 1], and the Gears' story is as likely to be tru(ish) as any. Although I'm kinda partial to the more recent "Mexican cannibal terrorist warlords" hypothesis [2] for Chaco's Secret Masters -- which isn't incompatible with (but is darker than) the Gears' interpretation. Both Gears are (IB) working archaeologists, and they've clearly spent some time around the campfire with the Chaco guys, listening to stories too outrageous to be published...

And if you've never visited Chaco, well, you should. Fall is the primo time. Bring a sturdy vehicle, and plan to camp out for a night or two. And don't miss Earl Morris's stunning recreation of the Great Kiva at Aztec Ruins -- which you'll recognize from the novel. There are no finer Precolumbian buildings in this country. And no finer masonry anywhere.

SILENCE is a gripping and successful long novel, which held my attention throughout. This is the best novel of the prehistoric Southwest I've read (this is an uncrowded niche). An impressive achievement, and a definite keeper. Highly recommended for historical-fiction and Southwestern US fans.

__________________
Note 1) Fellow Chaco fans will enjoy catching up by reading "In Search of Chaco: New Approaches to an Archaeological Enigma" (2004), edited by David Grant Noble -- though he unaccountably left out the "Mexican cannibal terrorist warlords" theory.

2) MCTW is largely the work of Prof. Christy Turner, as documented in his book "Man Corn" (1998). The cannibal part is well-supported -- Turner even found a fossil human turd in a burnt-out pueblo, above a mass-grave, in southern Colorado. On analysis, the coprolite had relict proteins found only in human muscle tissue. Yup, burn out your enemies, eat them, sh*t on their graves. Yuck.

So much for the "peaceful Anasazi" wishful-thinking, which still hangs on in a few romantic holdouts.... Turner's work has not been greeted with cries of joy from the archaeological or Pueblo Indian communities.


Review copyright © 2005 by Peter D. Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars People of the Silence (The First North Americans series, Book 8), September 13, 2005

By 

Patricia Marhoul "Patti Marhoul" (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: People of the Silence: A Novel of the Anasazi (The First North Americans series, Book 8) (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoy this series in my oppion it is best to read the series starting with Book 1 so that you know what is being talked about. If you are a Indian or love to read about Indians and their history then this is a Great Series of Books to read. It gives great in sight to the beliefs of the Indian Nations and their ways of life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drift back in time and become part of The First People, August 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the Silence: A Novel of the Anasazi (The First North Americans series, Book 8) (Mass Market Paperback)

I absolutely love this series! The stories are compiled with archaeological data and Native American creation stories. Each story is carefully woven with details of the villages and lifestyles, their spirtuality, and with the authors imagination, a powerful saga of what could have brought the destruction to the Anazasi. The story of Poor Singer, learning to be a spiritual singer, and Cornsilk, searching for the indentity of her real parents after her village is destroy, and their joining up on a quest to a village that may destroy one or both of them is just too fascinating to put down.