People of the Sea

North America's Forgotten Past #5

by Kathleen O'Neal Gear

The glaciers of the Sierra Nevada are melting, destroying the habitat of the mastodons, creating the rich land that will become California. The coastal people struggle to understand the changing world around their seer Sunchaser has lost his way to the Spirit World, and mammoths continue to disappear.When a beautiful woman arrives, fleeing from her abusive husband, the people know what they must do--for if the Spirits are already taking the animals away, what will happen if they shelter a stranger?Now Sunchaser must make a choice--between the woman he loves and the preservation of his people's world.At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Native American, Prehistoric, Native Americans

560 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

My professional life began in the dark basement of the Museum of Cultural History in Los Angeles, where I was cataloguing three-hundred-year-old Guatemalan saint carvings. I quit this fascinating job and moved to Wyoming to work for the U.S. Department of the Interior as a historian and archaeologist. When I finally understood the error of my ways I moved to Wyoming and started writing books. Since then, I've authored or co-authored 54 novels and around 200 non-fiction publications.

I love writing. And buffalo. And hiking the wilds of Wyoming's backcountry.

I'm married (until he comes to his senses) to W. Michael Gear, the novelist and my co-author, and we live at the edge of the Wind River Indian Reservation in the Owl Creek mountains of Wyoming. We're contented watching buffalo and writing books.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kathle...

Reviews

[Noella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een mooi verhaal is dit! Het beschrijft het leven van de mensen aan de westkust van Amerika, vele duizenden jaren geleden.
De mammoeten worden schaars. Een jonge vrouw, Valk, die zwanger is van haar minnaar, IJsplant, slaat op de vlucht voor haar man, de handelaar Dood Lam. Onderweg bevalt ze van een tweeling, waarvan ze het jongetje moet achterlaten om te sterven, en met haar dochtertje verder vlucht. Ze wil de stam waar IJsplant vandaan kwam bereiken, omdat ze denkt dat de daar veilig zal zijn.
Dood Lam achtervolgt haar echter, samen met zijn broer Tannine, en weet van geen opgeven.
Ondertussen heerst er ziekte bij vele stammen. De Dromer Zonjager heeft het zo druk met te proberen mensen te genezen, dat hij niet meer aan Dromen toekomt. Hij kan ook niet meer alle stammen bezoeken. Daarvan maakt een valse Dromer, Bitterstro, van de Otterclan, gebruik om meer zeggenschap bij zijn volk te krijgen, want de mensen hebben door dat hij lui is en geen echte Dromen heeft. Uiteindelijk maakt Bitterstro misbruik van Macht, en wordt een tovenaar, zodat hij de gedaante van dieren kan aannemen.
Zonjager is aan het eind van zijn krachten. Hij is ook bang dat hij de gave van het Dromen kwijt is, want hij kan de weg naar het Land van de Doden niet meer vinden in zijn Dromen. Hij had van Wolfdromer een tekening van een Doolhof gekregen, maar nu is hij de weg in de Doolhof kwijt.
Valk en Zonjager ontmoeten elkaar en ze reizen samen verder; ze krijgen ook een relatie.
Dood Lam is hen op het spoor en vastbesloten Valk in handen te krijgen, zelfs al moet hij daarvoor de confrontatie met Zonjager aangaan.
Uiteindelijk komen al de verhalen over deze afzonderlijke mensen samen in een spannende climax.
Fantastisch verhaal!

[Carol Storm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Help! Help! Mammoths walk into sea! Husband chase with big rock!

Gotta love these PEOPLE books. I mean, what's not to love about a 1000 page novel where noble Native Americans battle their way through ancient landscapes that we know so little about?

Problem is, the Gears spend so much time getting the archaeology just right, (have to make sure you know ALL the best flint quarries, and EVERY wild flower in the medicine man's sack) sometimes they forget about little things, like characters, plot, storyline.

So in this novel -- set in California, right at the end of the Ice Age, when the mammoths are dying out and the glaciers are melting so fast the people can actually see it happen -- there's this good medicine man named Sunchaser, who basically loves everyone. And there's this bad medicine man, named Mean Old Man, or Many Mean Moods, or something, who basically hates everyone. And then there's this runaway squaw, Cheats On Husband, or Likes It Rough, or something, and she's On The Run. But the mammoths are all dying!

It's not that I don't respect the Native American characters. It's just that they're so flat and cardboard and lifeless. The nice guy. The mean guy. The girl in trouble. Do you really need an archaelogy degree to write this stuff? The sad thing is, the setting is waaaay more interesting than the characters. I mean, it's so intriguing the way they drop hints about the climate, like how "the ice giants are dying, moaning in the night," as the glaciers melt. Or the way the mammoths literally walk into the sea when the grass is all gone. Or how the hunters brag about killing ten saber-tooth tigers every year, only this year they only kill five because they're so scarce . . .

Really it's like the characters get in the way of the setting!

[J.M. Northup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layered With Adventure and Heart!
I love how the Gears write an opener to each of the stories that is set in modern times. I enjoy the way they link the past to the present. I also appreciate how the issues of today are echoed in the truths of the ancients.
This tale has domestic abuse, incest, and strife. It shows the impact of environmental change on its society and how it literally altered the landscape of the world. I was so sad with the loss of the Mammoths, especially as I see so many species in danger of extinction today.
The Gears hit the mark again by writing intriguing characters, exciting adventures, and surprising twists. The struggle for Kestrel to find independence from an abusive husband, withstand a birth unaided while being pursued, and battling to survive in a prehistoric landscape are incredible. To add the layer of emotion that allows the reader to connect to the insecurities of the Dreamer and the sense of being abandoned by the spirit world to face destruction was genius. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love historical fiction or Native American lore.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - English Ebook

The glaciers of the Sierra Nevada are melting, destroying the habitat of the mastodons, creating the rich land that will become California.

The coastal people struggle to understand the changing world around them: Their seer Sunchaser has lost his way to the Spirit World and mammoths continue to disappear.

When a beautiful woman arrives, fleeing from her abusive husband, the people know what they must do, for if the Spirits are already taking the animals away, what will happen if they shelter a stranger? 

Now Sunchaser must make a choice, between the woman he loves and the preservation of his people's world.  A Dreamer who lost his way.

Sunchaser was a powerful Dreamer but due to another evil Dreamer who was a witch, Sunchaser lost his way.

But a beautiful woman who searched for his people because she had relatives with his clan, falls in love with him and was able to guide his way back and the evil Dreamer was destroyed.This is a wonderful book about people 5000 years ago.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

In essence this is the story of a young wife who escapes her homicidal husband after suffering domestic violence and turning to another man because of loneliness. Her lover is killed and she flees, pursued. Running parallel with this (and gradually intermeshing) is the tale of a spiritual leader struggling to understand the changes taking place in his world. Now put this story back a few thousand years into just post-glacial America and a whole new dimension opens up.
My only problem with the Gears is that they always start with a scientific stance (the evidence of archeological digs and research) yet introduce fantasy elements such as real contact with spirits, witchcraft, possession etc that contradict the physical. One has to be patient with this unfortunate anomaly because the stories are often quite entertaining but they would work just as well with a bit of harsh reality.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the descriptions of plants and animals and people was intriguing, in the end its basically a downer. too much violence and hatred, the dying mammoths, the sickness of the people all contribute to this being depressing.

[John Devisser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm starting to see a pattern with these books...

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third or fourth book that I've read in this series, and the stories are beginning to feel a bit too formulaic. I did not enjoy this one as much as the others. Seemed to drag on too long. Insertion of patriarchal gender roles and strict monogamy seems forced. When Wolfdreamer speaks to Sunchaser about the "civilization" that will develop in that area far in the future, it smacks of impressing colonial and Western ideals of progress on an Indigenous culture. Any of the text in Italics bored/lost me. I still garnered mild enjoyment from reading it, hence the three stars.

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this series of novels. Written like fiction but researched by writers who archaeologists and historians, the books really shine if you like early north american history. They cover from the ice age to just prior to European explorers, so it's fascinating. This is one of the best of the series.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kestrel gets pregnant when her abusive husband is away on a trading trip. When caught she runs away to another clan along the prehistoric Pacific coast. She is hunted in revenge. The author fails to tie in the present day leading chapter with the remaining prehistoric main section of the book.

[Sheryl Razore · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading this book I stopped reading the series. I was hoping it would get better but it was the same story in a different setting. Boring!

[Camille Siddartha · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice depiction from white writers....I like his stories

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

People of the Sea was a refreshing step up from the last installment in the North America's Forgotten Past series. The plot had firm direction, likeable characters, gave just enough explanation of daily life, and added a dash of magical realism. The characters Sunchaser and Catchstraw believed they were actually 'dreaming', but if you like to keep your feet more grounded in reality, you can say that they induced themselves into a hypnotic dream-like state using fasting, heat, insects, and plants to the point where they hallucinated. Either way, the story is enjoyable. It takes place at a point in history where major changes were taking place- the ice age was ending, the climate was becoming warmer, water was rising, and the larger land animals were dying out. Sunchaser's role in tribal society was not only to heal the sick and lead the dying to the afterlife, but to discover why the great mammoths were dying (sometimes by their own hand) and hopefully reverse it, as mammoths were holy animals to the sea people. Enter in Kestral, a woman beaten by her trader husband, who had become pregnant with her lover's child. Her lover is killed by her husband Lambkill, and she is driven into the forest to attempt to escape her husband's psychotic rage. Kestral and Sunchaser don't actually meet up until halfway through the novel, and Kestral and Lambkill don't reunite until the last 10%- so if you're looking for quick resolutions, you won't find that here.
I really enjoy these stories because of the rich blend of history and drama, and the very obvious good versus evil tropes. I also love the knowledge and the perseverance of these people, in the face of all kinds of troubles and life threatening problems.
I'd also like to toss a congrats to Horseweed here, for being the MVP of the story.

[Carol Colfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book, which takes place in paleolithic times. Quite long, it delves deeply into the lives of several sets of people, all interlocking eventually. It's kind of ethnographic in its approach, with a little more magic in it than I'm used to---but still I enjoyed it very much. It's about a girl initially married to a violent man whom she leaves with difficulty. She has an exciting and dangerous trip in search of the homeland of her lover, accompanied by her newborn baby. She meets interesting people, some good, some bad, along the way. There are 'dreamers' and witches and spirits interacting with the believable people (many of whom are likable). Very pleasant read.

[Chris Meads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 5 of the series of North America's Forgotten Past.

The environment is changing, the glaciers are melting and the big animals such as the Mastodons and Mammoths are disappearing. Sunchaser has lost his way through the maze that leads him to Wolf Hunter and the land of the dead

Then Kestral shows up and finds Sunchaser. She has run away from her husband because of him beating her and she is carrying a child that he thinks is someone else's. Sunchaser feels that she has something in her that will help him find his way to the land of the dead.

This is a quite detailed history of what life could have been like about the time of when the glaciers were disappearing in the Sierras and life was changing for man and animals alike. A worthy book worth reading.

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this book is about a complete Native American village found in tact during a modern day construction. Archeologists want construction stopped but of course big business wins out. Then the story goes into the history of those Native Americans. At first I found reading about their beliefs and their respect of the earth and her living creatures interesting. But when the story turned to “Dreamers” and “Witches” and how they could turn into animals and fight each other it lost me. Plus I felt it dragged on.

[Riley Lyss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the women and girls in these books. They are always so powerful and strong and brave, and Kestrel may be the most yet. She never gives up and throughout the entire book proves her courage by battling so many dangers to keep her baby safe, and herself alive for her baby's sake. This was also the first time in this series that the darkness of this kind of witchcraft was truly explored and expressed, and the madness caused by it and by rage was very vividly expressed. The whole book, the whole series, is just so beautifully written and captivating.

[John Lietzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of "People of the Sea" by John Lietzke

About this book: To began win, the slow in the beginning but the adventure picks up as the reader progresses. The ending is very interesting.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best of the series so far! There are still themes, as in the earlier books, of evil "dreamer" vs. good "dreamer" and of abused women. However this book has more excitement and action. I actually found I wanted to see what would happen next.

[Alyre Bourque · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a terrific book, I love historical fiction to begin with. There was alot of fiction in this book with mythical Gods influencing the story line. There is quite a bit of speculative insight to the native, prehistoric Northwest and how they lived. A very entertaining read.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never a dull moment in this series. Romance, action, gore, and fear are only a few of the feelings you get from these books. Very spiritual books. Love it!!!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a vacation novel, this was ace.

[A.L. DeLeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had forgotten that I had already read this book, years ago. It’s still a great story. You can never go wrong with reading any of the books authored by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear.

[Isabel McEniry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote my review on Amazon.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite series of books ever. Ive read them all multiple times, but now I'm collecting them in audio. Theyre exceptional.

[Sharon Sletten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recomed this book.

[Jenn Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive amount of accurate history. A little too "romance novel" at times

[Michael Laflamme]

A well paced addition to a great series! Good action throughout and the reader is in suspense to the end. Highly recommended!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

People of the Sea (North America's Forgotten Past, #5)
Gear, W. Michael
Gear. Kathleen O'neal
The People of the Sea are a great story of survival and surrender. How the mammoth was destroyed and how man was saved.
Kestrel is a young woman abused by her Trader husband Lambkill. After years of abuse and loneliness Kestrel falls in love with her "Cousin Iceplant" whom believes they are not cousins because he draws his birth line through his mother. The relationship has brought Lambkill to the edge of insanity. Lambkill hunts down Kestrel and Iceplant, in a misplaced trust, he kills Iceplant, and Kestrel runs away, only to give birth in desolation. Running for her life Kestrel is drawn into the wiles of power. From the birth of her daughter, and infant son, to the man she soon learns to love, Sunchatcher the greatest dreamer of the people of the sea. Sunchatcher has tried to change the balance of the world, in an attempt to save mammoths, and balance the sides of dark and light. But he is being witched, and just does not know it. Our heroes are drawn down a dark path, with murder, intrigue and deception.

Character list:
People of the sea

Dreamer: Sunchaser: greatest dreamer of the people, startedthe mammoth dance. Finds that life has a different pattern for him then heexpected.

Kestrel: banished from her tribe because of incest. Motherof twins, left one twin unnamed boy to save her daughter. She is drawn by powerover the wilderness to the cave of Sunchaser.

IcePlant: “cousin”of Kestrel and lover, is tricked intoleading her husband to her believing that he will live peacefully with her.

Goodplume: Sunchaser’s ...aunt, old dreamer, teaches him todream, and cares for the butternut village.

Cacthstraw: false dreamer, challenges Sunchaser out ofjealously. He twists the maze and becomes a witch. His bid for power turns himto a brutal reality that leads him down a dark path.

Lambkill: husband of Kestrel, trader, very brutal man,hunting Kestrel. He is obsessed man because of the death of his mother at hisfather’s hands.

Tannin: Younger brother of Lambkill follows his brother onthe trail of Kestrel hoping that he can help both of them.

Twisting cloud girl: Kestrels daughter seems to have been touched by power.

The boy: the youngest dreamer, never to be born before hehas to learn to sacrifice to save the spiral.

TheMan: (Wolf Dreamer): talks to the boy, and works to sendmessages to SunChaser helping him see beyond the maze and help balance thespiral.

Oxbalm: leader of the Otter people. Oxbalm is a peacefulman who wants to help balance the world, but is lost in the dynamic forces.

Sumac: Oxbalm’s wife and aid in guiding the Otter people.

Horseweed: Oxbalm’s grandson, and a young warrior wantingto help his people.

Power object: Sunchaser’s maze, given to him by Wolfdreamer when he nearly died of an illness, he believed that through it allpeople can reach the realm of the dead.

[Cheryl-lee Landis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the authors. I could not put the book down
Very good story😎