GARDENS IN THE DUNES: A Novel

When Leslie Silko's Almanac of the Dead was published, The New York Times called it a passionate indictment...that burns at an apocalyptic pitch. The flame burns even brighter with Gardens in the Dunes -- a magical combination of childhood idyll and bitter reality eloquently depicts the jungles of Brazil, and the great cities of the East. A child of an ancient Indian tribe, Indigo is orphaned when soldiers raid and destroy her town. She is adopted by an American family, but the white education forced upon her clashes with the centuries-old wisdom of her people. Her new family expects her to abandon the deep, instinctive knowledge that has become a part of her soul. But Indigo cannot forget her past -- and she will change all their lives before finally returning to her own. A masterful work of literature evoking the writing of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, this brilliantly imagined novel penetrates the conflict between Native Americans and the American culture in which they are obliged to live.