Soyala: Daughter of the Desert

by Cindy Burkart Maynard

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.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2019

About the author

Cindy Burkart Maynard is passionate for history and the natural world. Her characters come to life showing the reader what it was like to live in another time and place. She has published four historical fiction novels and is two nonfiction works about the Colorado Plateau and the desert southwest.

https://www.cindyburkartmaynard.com/


Winner:
Colorado Authors League award for Western literature
WILLA Finalist Award for soft cover fiction.
Marie M. Irvine award for Literary Excellence
Chanticleer National Book Award
Top Shelf Book award
Reader's Favorite Five Star Award

Reviews

[Vicky Ramakka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live near the location for the setting of Soyala, Daughter of the Desert and credit the author for getting it right. The intensive research that went into the book shows through, especially the way early inhabitants made use of the surrounding gifts of nature for food, clothing, and ceremony. Today’s visitors to these now abandoned ruins usually wonder, speculate, imagine, and wonder some more, how the residents lived centuries ago. Did they love and laugh like we do today, did they have similar fears and triumphs? Cindy Maynard’s story fills in the gaps. Read the book and join in the imagining process.
An introduction explaining that this three generational saga takes place during a time of significant cultural transition would have been helpful to provide background for the tribulations and encounters that Soyala’s clan experiences. Even so, what comes through toward the end of the book is how the changing environment, years of scant rainfall and decimation of nearby sources of fuel and food, cause unease, conflict, and upheaval. Perhaps a lesson for today. Adaptation must occur for survival. Youthful, adventurous leaders persuade the clan to migrate to a more favorable location. Resiliency and adaptation remain characteristics of today’s Pueblo communities.

[Charles Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soyala, Daughter of the Desert
By Cindy Burkart Maynard
173 pages, including a short glossary and timeline
ISBN: 978-1-54396-264-2
Self Published

Let’s go back almost a millennium to the American southwest and see what the people were like back then. How did they make life work in the pueblos? How did the family structure work? How did they gather their food and prepare it? Were there wars and disease to cope with?

In Cindy Maynard’s book, we learn all of that, and more. Through the life of Soyala, who we meet as a young girl, the reader joins Soyala as she faces everyday life in the time and place mentioned above. The narrative involves four generations of her family, as well as other members of the community – some of whom come and go, affecting Soyala and her fellow inhabitants of the particular pueblo in which they live. In time, conditions demand that Soyala and her group move on to a larger pueblo where they must fit in among a different clan. There is love and loss along the way, and once established with the new clan, there is more. A few twists of joy and tragedy cross Soyala’s path over the years, but there will certainly be no spoilers here.

Ms. Maynard does a brilliant job in illustrating conditions as Soyala experiences them. The skies, the weather conditions, the personalities of the people, and even the strife-ridden situation are deftly described. As Soyala grows into womanhood and then into motherhood and beyond, the reader will meet shamans, hunters, potential suitors for Soyala’s hand, wise folks, and several relatives and village members. Adventure after adventure form Soyala into the person she becomes.

There are some vividly described incidents in the life of Soyala that have me recommend this book for high school age readers and older. The book reads easily, all within the 173 pages, which is a tribute to the author’s concise and specific word choices.

[Kevin Sells · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read

A good story. Easily transports you to the time and place. The characters are fleshed out just enough to make you care about them. I'd recommend reading the appendix first to get an idea where the story takes place to save yourself wondering. I think this makes for an excellent airport book. It'll hold your attention through a coast to coast flight with no problem.

[Jillian Bald]

Soyala: Daughter of the Desert teetered between a National Geographic piece and a fiction novel, but in a good way.
The story was compelling despite the limited depth the author gave the minor characters (which would have really rounded out the fiction part for me). Some major events were handled a little too abruptly at times, some tragedies lacked suspense, and I was expecting a little more dramatic adventure. The author covered Soyala's entire life in this short book, and her focus was on how Soyala's people lived and survived in a time of history we know little about.
The setting and life of the Pueblo people were well described and seemed well researched and detailed, but never got bogged down. As for how those details were told, I was impressed with the number of similes Cindy Burkart Maynard could fit into one story. Maybe that is why this is in the "cowboy" genre.
I recommend this enjoyable novel for SW history/Native American culture enthusiasts and for a pleasant summer read, in general.

[Rita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a novel based upon the author's knowledge of the ancient world of the Puebloan people of the southwestern United States. I found some interesting information and the story had plausible events and circumstances. But, the writing was simplistic and there were jarring elements, particularly, in the uneven passage of time. For example, a father dies leaving his wife and 16 year old daughter. But the next sentence talks about years since his death and the daughter is 16. This does not compute. There were other similar disconnected events. What was needed here was more revision and a good editor to move this novel into a level of good novel writing.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an enthusiast of the cultural sites (both art and structures) found primarily in the southwestern states of this country, I truly enjoyed this book. The author’s imagination of bringing to life multiple generations and creating a believable existence based on our limited knowledge of how people lived during those times…really well done.
Many thanks to Cindy Burkhart Maynard - you brought Soyala and her community alive for me.

[Ricardo Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. It's a bit like boarding a time machine and traveling back centuries to experience what it was like living then. Cindy Burkart Maynard is an excellent writer who must be reincarnated from among "The Old Ones" who lived long ago. Her detail exhibits a great deal of awareness about how people lived long ago.

[Lisa Trank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much in this beautiful historical fiction - heartbreaking story, but one with resilience. The author is obviously very, very knowledgeable about this time period and manages to maintain a compelling storyline throughout the historical details.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating recreation of early Pueblo life - 1200’s. Beautifully written, filled with passion, love, and respect for this early civilization.

[Oladeji Aduragbemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honored to receive an ARC of Soyala: Daughter of the Desert, and it did not disappoint. A vivid, immersive story of ancient life that stayed with me.

[Authors Groeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is historical fiction done right. The setting, the people, the landscape — so real. I felt like I was there in the desert alongside Soyala.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect, but this ARC swept me away into the Pueblo world. The cultural detail, the personal struggle, all of it felt genuine.

[Helen Guill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The protagonist’s journey is quietly powerful. Soyala isn’t a flashy hero, but her story is deeply human and inspiring.

[Atlanta Non · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cindy Maynard’s writing is richly atmospheric. The desert setting, the clan’s life, I could almost hear the wind, smell the sage.

[Readers Of · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself hooked by the second chapter. The narrative flows beautifully, even though the setting is ancient and unfamiliar.

[Ruth Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an ARC reader, I loved how the author balanced historical authenticity with emotional resonance.

[Winw Cheese · Rating 5 out of 5]

The themes of identity, belonging and survival shine through. Soyala’s voice is strong, slender, and full of truth.

[Emma Raynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I underlined more passages in this ARC than usual. So many moments of reflection and beauty.

[Chloe Mendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is gentle but not weak; it holds pain and hope side by side. A lovely reading experience.

[Alex J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world-building is subtle yet immersive. You don’t get info-dumped, but you learn and feel alongside Soyala.

[Brianna Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the attention to cultural detail, respect for the people, their traditions, their land.

[Theo Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some parts moved a bit slowly for me, but they earned every beat. The payoff was worth it.

[Lila Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The desert setting is almost another character. It shapes the people, the decisions, the journey in a real way.

[Roseline Bestseller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel made me pause and ponder: what does it mean to belong, to endure? Great questions here.

[Paige Whitmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pacing is deliberate, if you’re after fast-action thrills, this might feel calm. But its quiet power stuck with me.

[Violett Blais · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the relationships in the book, the clan, the elders, the family. They felt nuanced and believable.

[Story Spotlight · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an ARC reader I felt privileged to preview this story. It’s intimate, strong, rooted.

[Paige Whitmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like historical fiction with depth, this one’s for you. It’s not just about survival, but about living.

[Inger Barron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1200s in a southwest Pueblo community, this story of a strong pueblo woman brought to life the time and culture that existed there before the arrival of Europeans.

[Joni Okun]

This book did not hold my attention. The writing was pretentious and dull.