Talking to the ground : one family's journey on horseback across the sacred land of the Navajo
(Book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published
New York : Simon & Schuster, ©1995.
Physical Desc
284 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
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LocationCall NumberStatus
Coos Bay Public Library - Adult/General - Nonfiction921 PRESTON, DOUGLAS TalkingAvailable

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Published
New York : Simon & Schuster, ©1995.
Format
Book
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-284).
Description
Documenting one family's dangerous journey across the harshest deserts of the Southwest, a day-by-day account of adventure and personal growth is also an informative exploration of Navajo life and history.
Description
The adventure of a lifetime, this is the true story of a family's perilous trek into the sacred landscapes described in the Navajo creation story. This book is both a story of personal growth and a fascinating exploration of Navajo life, history, and spirituality. In 1992, Douglas Preston took his wife, Christine, and her nine-year-old daughter on a 400-mile horseback ride through the deserts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. They were retracing the mythical route of a great Navajo deity called Naayée̓ʹ neizghání, the Slayer of the Alien Gods, on his quest to restore beauty and balance to the Earth. The Navajos called his arduous trail the Journey for Knowledge and Power. The Preston family, following the Journey for Knowledge and Power, packed their food on horseback, camped under the stars, and found their water in the desert. They traveled through some of the most isolated places in America, where they learned to depend on each other for their very lives and the on the hospitality and wisdom of the Navajo people they met. The book includes unforgettable descriptions of the harsh splendors of Navajo Mountain, Monument Valley, and Canyon de Chelly--as well as lost Anasazi cities and remote canyons rarely visited by white people. Along the way, the author began to hear details of an extraordinary prophecy. Talking to traditional Navajo people, he gradually pieced together the complete story. It starts in the deep past, at the time of Creation, when the world was out of balance. It then explains the mysterious disappearance of the Anasazi. And finally it reaches into the distant future where, in a shattering twist, it links the fate of the Anasazi with the ultimate destiny of America itself. Talking to the Ground is a literary achievement of the highest order. But it is also a gripping adventure, a visionary book that blends Navajo mysticism, prophecy, and the epic story of creation with the day-to-day account of one family's struggle across the deserts and mountains of the Southwest--and their spiritual struggle to find their place in the world -- Book jacket.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Preston, D. J. (1995). Talking to the ground: one family's journey on horseback across the sacred land of the Navajo . Simon & Schuster.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Preston, Douglas J. 1995. Talking to the Ground: One Family's Journey On Horseback Across the Sacred Land of the Navajo. Simon & Schuster.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Preston, Douglas J. Talking to the Ground: One Family's Journey On Horseback Across the Sacred Land of the Navajo Simon & Schuster, 1995.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Preston, Douglas J. Talking to the Ground: One Family's Journey On Horseback Across the Sacred Land of the Navajo Simon & Schuster, 1995.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.