Mesa Verde

by Gary McCarthy

In the harsh, wilderness landscape of desert Colorado, the ancient Anasazi had built a great sanctuary into the walls of cliffs, a civilization that becomes lost for more than a thousand years, until two snow-blind cowboys accidentally stumble upon the magnificent ruins of Mesa Verde. Original.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

Gary McCarthy is the author of fourteen American historical novels and thirty-four westerns published by many of New York's major publishing houses. He has over three million books in print and continues to research and write his Canyon Country novels.

Growing up with horses and living in California, Nevada and Arizona, Gary is well suited to writing about the American West. He received his B.S. degree in Animal Science and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics. He has a keen interest in Native American cultures, especially the Hopi, Navajo, Havasupai and Haulapai who live in Northern Arizona.

Gary and his wife Jane live in Arizona and have often ridden horses and hiked in the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests. Gary is always looking for new stories set in the American West and considers the research to be among his most favorite pursuits.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mesa Verde was first discovered by white men in 1888. It is now the largest archeological preserve in the United States. Archaeologists call the ancient people who inhabited Mesa Verde, Anasazi from the Navajo word for ancient.

This is a heavily researched historical novel which is divided between the early white settlers trying to sell off artifacts and the archeologist trying to preserve the site. The other part of the story tells of the Raven Clan in about 450 A.D. It is a time of starvation from drought and the Raven Clan set out upon a perilous journey to find a mystical mesa where hope can be reborn. Echata is the leader of the Clan.

What I enjoyed most is the history McCarthy supplied via the story. Mesa Verde is a fascinating place. I would suggest reading this book before visiting; it would make the trip more enjoyable. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Gene Engene did his usual good job narrating the book. I found the book while searching Audible for books narrated by Gene Engene. The book is about 13 hours long.

[Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, but the history is why I gave McCarthy 4 stars for Mesa Verde. I couldn't put the book down, then when I finished I went on a treasure hunt of books all about our Native Americans. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to know more about America before "us".

[Trudy Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A factionalized history of the Anasazi people. So interesting when you’ve seen some of their cave dwellings.

[Ann M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. My favourite kind of “historic fiction.” I learned a great deal about Mesa Verde, the pre Puebloan culture, the Anasazi and the amazing cliff dwellings. Surprised that this book isn’t one of McCarthy’s featured books. New Mexico has been on my bucket list for a long time, and after reading this book, Colorado has jumped the queue to the top spot.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My husband and I listened to this while on our way to visit Mesa Verde. The cowboys and the archeologists at the beginning had an interesting story, but when the book went back in time to the tale of the Anasazi, we lost interest.