Return of the Bones

by Belinda Vasquez Garcia

Alternate Cover Edition for 9781475187427.

BEST HISTORICAL FICTION & BEST MUTLI-CULTURAL FICTION 2013 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards Finalist

Inspired by a true story! -- In 1915, 2,067 skeletons were stolen from the ghost pueblo of Pecos and transported to Harvard Universityfor medical research...In present day and across the miles, the wind carries their cries to Grandfather who hears the bones longing for home. But worlds collide when his modern granddaughter agrees to drive him across the country to bring home the bones of their Native American ancestors. A dazzling, family epic of love and forgiveness.

Hollow-Woman and Grandfather are the last of the Pecos people, but Hollow-Woman is not interested in ancient skeletons. She works at an Indian casino and is of the modern ways, while Grandfather is a shaman and values tradition. She hopes the road trip will heal their broken hearts.

Grandfather fashions a magical dream catcher to help her "see" her ancestors' lives, and come to love the missing bones, as he does. While driving a ratty old pickup-camper, the cantankerous Grandfather and stubborn Hollow-Woman bicker from New Mexico to the Peabody Museum.

A glowing literary work, with religious undertones of the persecution of Native Americans by the Catholic Church's Spanish Inquisition. Return of the Bones pulses with emotion. The pages are filled with the comical way Grandfather looks at the world while embracing the heartbreak and spirituality of the Native American peoples.

You may know these famous bones on which landmark studies proved that exercise prevents osteoporosis! The book is enhanced with video and pictures through the author's website. Visit magicprose.com if you wish to preview the videos and images.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Native American, Paranormal, Fantasy, Horror, Westerns

Paperback

First published May 17, 2014

About the author

I am the author of the award-winning RETURN OF THE BONES which won Best Historical Fiction for the New Mexico / Arizona Book Awards.

It was too hard juggling three author names. Some of my books, including Return of the Bones, have been moved to my author name of Belinda Austin: https://www.goodreads.com/belindaAustin.

I, also, write Science Fiction and Fantasy under the name B. Austin: https://www.goodreads.com/b-austin

To quote a line from RETURN OF THE BONES: Love never dies, nor does hope, faith, nor magic.

I was born in the Los Angeles area. I invite you to read my memoirs, which can be found at both B. Austin and Belinda Austin. I thank you for any interest in my books.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start my review, I would like to preface that it was a First Reads book.

This novel is a fictional account of a true story and is spell-binding. Native Americans are known for their oral traditions and stories and this book follows in those footsteps. The main characters, Hollow-Woman and Governor are on a road trip to Washington DC and Boston in order to obtain the skeletons of their ancestors which were taken by an archeologist in early quarter of the 1900s. The last of the Peco Indians, the bones can only be returned to them for reburial back at their pueblo in New Mexico. While on the road trip, Hollow-Woman learns of her peoples' history, the importance of family, faith, and tradition.

Garcia has taken the oral tradition of natives and successfully turned it into a spellbinding and captivating story. A mix of history and the Peco tribes' tradition make this novel fascinating and sheds light on a part of American history that is often ignored due to its harshness. Garcia does not avoid the horrors of people against other people, she embraces it as part of the human story and isn't afraid to tell the true story and all its details. She is also tender and the importance of knowing who you are and where you came from seeps from each page.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads and Belinda Vasquez Garcia for my copy.

Very emotional a touching story that will move you and make you think about the terrible wrongs that have happened to the Native American Indians...so heart touching. Thanks to Belinda for writing this story.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In 1915, 2,067 skeletons were stolen from the ghost pueblo of Pecos and transported to Harvard University for medical research...." quote from Belinda Vasquez Garcia's preface About Return of the Bones.

I loved this story, part fiction, part fantasy, but based on truth. It's all about the bones of ancestors, the gradual loss of tribes and nations of North America's indigenous people and the repatriation of the bones. In this mystical and arduous journey an elderly shaman and his granddaughter, last of their once large tribe, are on a quest for the bones of their ancestors. Travelling physically in an old truck, and paranormally via a dreamcatcher, this story is spellbinding.

Belinda Vasquez Garcia has a way of bringing reality to the past and present through images received by the granddaughter, a modern girl who is on this journey of discovery and recovery. Past and present are interwoven in such a way that I truly felt this in my own soul, legend becomes reality as Hollow-Woman begins to open her soul to the past. I found the book memorable and heartwarming as the connection between grandfather and granddaughter, ancient and modern, past and present grew. The author has done a wonderful job of working with history and keeping the truth while writing with a passion for the magical and spiritual feel through the centuries of the indigenous people.

[Greg Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dream-filled meditation on what it means to belong to a native-american tribe. Hollow Woman and her crotchety shaman grandfather are the last survivors of their tribe, refugees from a ruined and long-abandoned pueblo. Almost a hundred years earlier, archaeologists raided the ruins and removed the bones of thousands of early residents. The pueblo having long-since been captured and it's people enslaved by Spanish troops and "missionaries" more intent on saving the "Indians" souls than their lives or customs. Raids by other native tribes further weakened the people and a ruined economy finally starved them and drove them away.

We see the entire history through Hollow woman's dreams, brought on by the magic of her grandfather's dream catcher as the two travel cross country to recover the bones and to return them to their proper burial place.

This is a road-trip with a mission. The grandfather is very old and expects to die soon. The government has finally agreed to release the bones to him. Long at odds, Hollow Woman and her grandfather grow closer over the trip and learn to accept and understand each other. Together, they read the diary of the man responsible for "stealing" the ancestral bones, who experiences a growth of understanding himself. Cognizant that he is stripping these bones from their rightful place, he still feels that what can be learned from them is worth the price of his guilt.

The trip is diverted to at several museums, commemorating the "trail of tears" and native american history, suggesting further exploration for readers who are intrigued by what they learn in these pages. The book is a heartfelt telling of native american history, a uniquely poetic retelling of the horrors and confirmation of the lives.

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very engaging story of New Mexico's Pecos Pueblo. I wanted to listen to this audiobook because it was based on the true story of the Pecos Pueblo – how the bones of their ancestors were removed in the 1920’s from their resting place in New Mexico and shipped off to Harvard for study.

The beginning started out slowly for me, but I understand that the author needed to lay the foundation with the necessary history. Thankfully, Belinda Vasquez Garcia didn’t get on her soapbox and denounce the evils of our country’s early beginnings by the Spanish and early American settlers.

Rather, the story centers on Hollow-Woman and Grandfather who are the last of their tribe and who travel cross country to retrieve the bones of their ancestors. Grandfather shares with his granddaughter where the bones came from and what they mean to their tribe and descendents. Needless to say, Hollow-Woman is disgruntled at first and reluctant to go on this road trip with the old man.

Sarianna Gregg’s narration accurately depicted Hollow-Woman’s transformation during the road trip from a modern non-believer to proud Pecos descendent. She also demonstrated the comical way Grandfather looks at the world while embracing the spirituality of the Native American peoples.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving and powerful story based on the repatriation of Pecos bones.

[Dianna Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. The characters were life like - just as if they were part of your family. The story was great, and sad, and so many other things. I am glad I read this book. The story was also well-written. It made you care about more than just the characters in the book. It reminded you that there are a lot more stories like this that could be told.

[Keith Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book because it was partially based on the true story of the Pecos Pueblo. Their trials at the hands of Spanish invaders, the Spanish Inquisition, the US Army, and finally from archaeologists. In the early 1900 the bones were removed from their resting place at the Pueblo and shipped off to Harvard for study.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is that the author did not take the opportunity to turn this engaging story into an excuse to denounce how evil the Spanish, Americans, and even other tribes were to this group. Indeed, there were evil acts performed by bad men, but their sins were their own.

Around this kernel of truth a story is woven that shares where the bones came from and what they mean to the descendents. By the end, I looked forward to seeing the bones returned to a final rest at the pueblo.

[Avis Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a novel based on a true story for those who unfamiliar with Native American History.The author takes facts that laid dormant in files and gives a lively account and fascinating chapters of our past of which too many Americans are totally ignorant.
2,067 skeletons were stolen from the ghost pueblo of Pecos in 1915. For 84 years the Pecos bones helped mankind in medical studies. Though they may be extinct, they are not forgotten.
What an incredible story of these people, what they went thru and how they were treated in the end. A fascinating read into history and I recommend this book highly!

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It was based on fact and I learned so much about New Mexico and the pueblos. I knew we had been unfair to Native Americans, but I had no idea to what extent. I also learned a bit about Native American beliefs and I respect those beliefs. The scientist who "stole" the bones knew it was wrong, but he rationalized that it was for science so he was justified. It was very emotional when the bones were returned to where they belonged all along. I had to wonder how I would feel if a scientist dug up one of my family members for any reason. I would be incensed beyond belief!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book . I have always been interested in the native American Indians. This book is told by a woman named Hollow Woman. About her and her grandfather who raised her. They go to the NAGPR to legally get all the bones of the Indians . They wanted to bring all their people back to bury them on their homeland. Tell lots of interesting facts about the Indian people. Lots of bibliographys listed. Also has a glossory in back. Lots and lots of information

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Hollow Woman on her journey with her grandfather as she honors his last wish to retrieve the bones of her ancestors and take them back to burial.

Excellent read, told threw real time and dreams of the past, you can almost feel what Hollow Woman is feeling on her journey. I love books like that.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

We all should be reminded of the thoughtless cruelty of European Invaders to the Americas. Why do people not respect or try to appreciate other cultures. This is something we all need to think about if humanity is to survive. Return of the Bones addresses this problem and ends with a message of hope.

[Nikki L.Thackeray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beauty of the stories of the native American people radiates from the pages and gives life to what Americans believe to be Indian lore.

I love to read or listen to these stories. They bring much more beauty to our history. Life was difficult for them and we need to appreciate all they did to make our world a better place. This was an excellent book.

[Rae Colley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but she was too heavy-handed in her mingling of contemporary Native Americans and historical fact. Louise Erdrich does this much better in The Round House. Also, dialogue was laughably unnatural and cliched.

[Jeana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book, made me cry.

[Vanda Bromwich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A paranormal story about the last of a tribe of native americans getting the bones of their ancestors back that were taken during an archeological dig in the 20's. Great story.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway. The following is my honest review of the book.

We'll start with the headline: 3.5/5, but I'm rounding up because while a majority of the book was a 3 (I just like it; it's ok but not great), from when their train arrives in Boston onward was extremely moving and it did make me tear up a bit. I have to acknowledge and respect that portion of the book. But that's only the last quarter of the book, so there's a lot of 'just ok' before you get the payoff.

There's a lot to unpack here as this is An Important Book(TM). My knowledge around Native American history is extremely limited and having grown up in the Midwest, what little we learned was focused on the tribes in our region; I do remember a unit in elementary school that discussed other units, but honestly how much are you actually going to learn in 3rd or 4th grade? Given the reading level and contents of this book, I think it would have been a great addition to my 8th grade US history class. Books like this are important because they add humanity in a way history textbooks cannot.

Diving into the story itself, like I said it's very slow to start. The relationship between the main characters Hollow-Woman and Grandfather was a bit hard for me to understand because I've never had that kind of relationship where you are so close with someone but also openly antagonistic towards them. The change in how they act towards each other over the course of the book seemed rushed at first, but then I suppose having such a close call with death would cause them to rethink the relationship and do their best to mend it quickly.

The dream sequences were vivid and visceral and while many of them focused on the horrors inflicted on the Pecos by colonizers, the author also made sure to include as much of daily life and culture as possible. It certainly made me want to read more about both Native American history and find more books by Native American authors.

[Jk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free Kindle copy of this book via the Goodreads Giveaways program and am grateful to anyone involved in making that happen.

This is a moving ficitonalized account of the people of the Pecos Pueblo, their suffering and demise, followed by the theft of their bones and their ultimate return to their rightful resting place. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this, the diary of Kidder and the overall story. That said, the paranormal/magic dreams/hallucinations were strange and I struggled a bit trying to figure out exactly what was really happening in the story and what was a dream. I think I would have liked this more if it had been non-fiction or just a straightforward story without the magical element. Still, an enjoyable and important story.

[Stephen Fridrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a moving story about the Pecos Pueblo Indians. This is part of our American history. For any student of historical fiction I recommend it. There is quite a bit of Pecos Indian culture woven into the story. The story line is between a grandfather and his granddaughter. She is Holly and calls her grandfather the Governor. They both have other names that adds to the complexity. Their relationship is initially quite strained and then slowly evolves. Much of the storytelling is using the dream state of Holly. It offers an interesting point of view that is around the Pecos Indian culture and life from many years before. The graves of the Pecos Indians were excavated in 1915 by a professor from Harvard University. The story is the efforts of the grandfather and granddaughter to return the bones back to the Pecos Indian lands.

[Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating novel (inspired by a true story) about the theft and subsequent repatriation of native American remains. The author shares the heart-breaking history of the subjugation and abuse of the Indians by the Spaniards and the Catholic Church. Almost half of the novel takes the form of dreams and visions through the medium of a dream-catcher which weaves back and forth from reality to vision in a way that draws the reader into its spell also.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unusual story, history is weaved into dreams that are stirred by the dream catcher, A tale about the Pueblo Indians easy and quick read once you get into the style of writing it has beautiful mysticism and Indian symbolism poetic verse. Based on truth a very sad trail that unravels through the great characters of Hollow Woman and Grandfather a tragedy of deaths and lost bones made right. So unique I love it a goodread thank you to the Author Belinda for bringing this to the public

[Danny Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return of the Bones Completed its Journey

A curious and haunting tale, as it was no doubt intended to be. The grandfather and his granddaughter were misfits, anachronisms in every setting. The weren’t sympathetic characters, cantankerous and ill tempered to the point of being obnoxious. Then the change began, as they became almost human; almost bearable. Finally, they and their world come into harmony. A worthwhile read….

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

On fact in Native American history that I did not know of was how 2067 skeletons in 1915 were taken from the Pecos Pueblo in New Mexico to Harvard for study. All though the characters are fictional, the facts about the bones are true. It is a very interesting book to read. It tells of granddaughter and grandfather traveling across country to retrieve the bones. Worth reading.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A magic dream catcher that brings centuries of atrocities to life. A 3.75 star rating.
My Full Review

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Joanne Garbato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction

Not totally accurate but very moving story of the return of over 2,000 Pueblo Indian skeletons to their burial ground.

[Mindy W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately the narrator ruined the story for me a good bit. Too dramatically read and a bit of a stilted cadence. Loved and respected the story though.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read given the truths of senseless greed that wipes out a nation of people. Still I’m thankful for this writer who would not allow truth to be buried and hidden away.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful heartfelt story.