Soyala: Daughter of the Desert (1) [Paperback] Maynard, Cindy Burkart

Based on the archaeological and anthropological record, this story is a vivid and convincing drama depicting the lives of a small clan of ancient puebloans of northern New Mexico. It is set in the thirteenth century, long before Europeans reached the Southwest. The narrative is fresh, alive and fast-paced. The prose is highly polished and readable. Its strong, finely-drawn characters come to life showing us how they faced the challenges of climate, landscape, and survival. The themes of birth, death, love, hope, courage, fear, suffering and endurance ring true. It's as though the hundreds of years separating their experience from ours disappear. Based on the archaeological record and inspired by what it known about an actual pueblo, it feels incredibly authentic. This multi-generational story explores native American pre-history and the ancient puebloans as they set off on a great migration toward better lives.

Cindy's passion is to make the past come alive with award winning historical fiction novels. Answering the question: "What it would have been like to live in that place and time?" is what motivates her writing.

Her love of history and the natural world shine through in all her work. .

Cindy is author of two prize-winning historical novels, co-author of two non-fiction books about the Southwest, and articles for Colorado Life, Utah Life, and Images magazines.