From Publishers Weekly
In a historically cloudy page-turner, Wood (Perfect Harmony) splices past and present, covering 2,000 years on the California coast. Erica Tyler, a talented anthropologist haunted by a professional mistake, sees the excavation of a collapsed pool in an exclusive Los Angeles suburb as an opportunity to restore her reputation. She persuades her reluctant boss to give her the case, even though she will have to work with Jared Black, an old adversary employed by a state agency that protects indigenous interests. In a parallel narrative, Marimi, a Topaa Indian, is expelled from her clan when she embarrasses the shaman by saving a young boy predicted to die. She and the boy, led by visions, walk for miles to an area they can settle. As Erica's dig proceeds, she meets opposition from the Indian community, local residents and the state; threats and violence soon follow. Complicating the dig further is Erica's powerful attraction to the enigmatic Jared. As each new artifact and clue is discovered, the narrative returns to the tale of Marimi's descendants, some of whom are blessed with foresight. Erica is driven to resolve the mystery of the site for personal reasons; raised in a series of foster homes, she is deeply conscious that she has no family history of her own. The novel concludes in the present, neatly twining all of the stories into an unsurprising but upbeat finale. Erica's theories are too consistently accurate to be plausible, and Wood does her readers a disservice by failing to provide better clarification of what is fact and fiction, but her fans will likely welcome this flawed yet engaging tale. Agent, Harvey Klinger. Foreign rights sold in 12 countries. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
After an earthquake damages a rich area of California, a sacred cave containing human remains is found dating back at least 1500 years. As archaeologist Erica Tyler races to discover the identity and way of life of the Native American tribe whose artifacts are left there, Jared Black, the member of a Native American Commission, seeks their living descendents. Gabrielle de Cuir tells the tale of each discovery and the mythical or historical story behind why each piece was left in the cave. De Cuir's soft voice clearly enunciates the Indian and Spanish words, disrupting the flow of the engaging narrative. What Tyler and Black discover about the Native American tribe adds a nice twist to this romantic tale of past and present. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
The story of Marimi and her female descendants spans back 2,000 years to the native Californian Topaa Indians and the role of tribe shaman, which passed to each of these mystical women as a descendant of the first mother. The history of the Topaa women reveals itself to archaeologists when an earthquake rocks an elite Santa Monica community and unearths a cave inscribed with pictographs and puzzling relics. Archaeologist Erica Tyler becomes obsessed with discovering the story behind the mysterious cave, and in the background the story of Marimi and her people begins to unfold, beginning in prehistoric California and continuing through the Spanish Inquisition and the gold rush colonization, which ultimately obliterated the natives' way of life. Wood's writing is rich with history and time travel. Tradition and respect for the bounties of the earth were the core of the Native American's lifestyle, and Wood does a wonderful job of conveying the richness of their spiritual life and bringing to light their current struggle with archaeologists for entitlement over ancestral burial grounds. Elsa Gaztambide
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Two thousand years ago, there was a great bay and a peaceful land filled with sage, citrus trees, and pine. And there was a tribe called the Topaa. Marimi, a healer in her tribe, is unprepared for what fate holds in store for her. Without her knowledge, her actions place her under the watchful, suspicious gaze of a rival...and Marimi's family is placed under a curse that impacts how their legacy unfolds. From prehistoric California to the days of Spanish explorers, from the time of California colonialism to the swashbuckling cowboy days of early Los Angeles and right up to the present day, Scared Ground tells the story of the female descendants of Marimi. It tells of their loves, their betrayals, their loses, their families, and their ruthless ambitions that would forge a new country.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In a historically cloudy page-turner, Wood (Perfect Harmony) splices past and present, covering 2,000 years on the California coast. Erica Tyler, a talented anthropologist haunted by a professional mistake, sees the excavation of a collapsed pool in an exclusive Los Angeles suburb as an opportunity to restore her reputation. She persuades her reluctant boss to give her the case, even though she will have to work with Jared Black, an old adversary employed by a state agency that protects indigenous interests. In a parallel narrative, Marimi, a Topaa Indian, is expelled from her clan when she embarrasses the shaman by saving a young boy predicted to die. She and the boy, led by visions, walk for miles to an area they can settle. As Erica's dig proceeds, she meets opposition from the Indian community, local residents and the state; threats and violence soon follow. Complicating the dig further is Erica's powerful attraction to the enigmatic Jared. As each new artifact and clue is discovered, the narrative returns to the tale of Marimi's descendants, some of whom are blessed with foresight. Erica is driven to resolve the mystery of the site for personal reasons; raised in a series of foster homes, she is deeply conscious that she has no family history of her own. The novel concludes in the present, neatly twining all of the stories into an unsurprising but upbeat finale. Erica's theories are too consistently accurate to be plausible, and Wood does her readers a disservice by failing to provide better clarification of what is fact and fiction, but her fans will likely welcome this flawed yet engaging tale. Agent, Harvey Klinger. Foreign rights sold in 12 countries. (Sept. 18) Copyright 2001Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

After an earthquake damages a rich area of California, a sacred cave containing human remains is found dating back at least 1500 years. As archaeologist Erica Tyler races to discover the identity and way of life of the Native American tribe whose artifacts are left there, Jared Black, the member of a Native American Commission, seeks their living descendents. Gabrielle de Cuir tells the tale of each discovery and the mythical or historical story behind why each piece was left in the cave. De Cuir's soft voice clearly enunciates the Indian and Spanish words, disrupting the flow of the engaging narrative. What Tyler and Black discover about the Native American tribe adds a nice twist to this romantic tale of past and present. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews