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Holy Cow (Walk in Beauty)
According to Navajo tradition, even lightning has a path to walk.
Navajo farm girl Ramona Morgan can pull a newborn calf, make mountain tobacco, and bake bread in a mud oven. Almost all of her fourteen years have been spent learning how to live with ‘hozho,’ the natural rhythm that keeps the world turning.
Although it’s the only life she’s ever known, Ramona is passionate about her parent’s mission to build a sustainable farm. When she was a child, her tech-savvy father discovered GMO grains were causing cows to give birth to empty water bags and die prematurely of disease. Ramona’s parents began to disentangle themselves from the modern world and prepare for an uncertain future.
Then one day Ramon’s father makes an announcement that throws Ramona into a spin: Daniel, a cousin by marriage, is coming to spend the summer on the Morgan farm while his step dad goes to rehab. “He might have some problems,” her father warns, and Ramona is caught between curiosity and dread. While she daydreams about comforting Daniel’s broken heart over the recent death of his mother, she also worries about what sort of ‘problems’ Daniel might have.
HOLY COW is a young adult novel, based on the true lifestyle of the author. It is about ‘TLC’ for both the Earth, and her people. HOLY COW is the first in a trilogy. Look for WISH ME LUCK and OMG - coming soon!
Navajo farm girl Ramona Morgan can pull a newborn calf, make mountain tobacco, and bake bread in a mud oven. Almost all of her fourteen years have been spent learning how to live with ‘hozho,’ the natural rhythm that keeps the world turning.
Although it’s the only life she’s ever known, Ramona is passionate about her parent’s mission to build a sustainable farm. When she was a child, her tech-savvy father discovered GMO grains were causing cows to give birth to empty water bags and die prematurely of disease. Ramona’s parents began to disentangle themselves from the modern world and prepare for an uncertain future.
Then one day Ramon’s father makes an announcement that throws Ramona into a spin: Daniel, a cousin by marriage, is coming to spend the summer on the Morgan farm while his step dad goes to rehab. “He might have some problems,” her father warns, and Ramona is caught between curiosity and dread. While she daydreams about comforting Daniel’s broken heart over the recent death of his mother, she also worries about what sort of ‘problems’ Daniel might have.
HOLY COW is a young adult novel, based on the true lifestyle of the author. It is about ‘TLC’ for both the Earth, and her people. HOLY COW is the first in a trilogy. Look for WISH ME LUCK and OMG - coming soon!
298 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
233 people want to read
About the author
Rebekah Joy Anast
3 books10 followersRebekah Joy Anast started writing when she was eight years old and had exhausted all the fun reading material in her hometown library. Story telling was her super power, and she frequently used it to manage her younger brothers and parents. It was her mother that first suggested writing those stories down on paper. At the time Rebekah was flattered and eagerly responded with notebooks full of dramatic fiction. Years later she realized her mother's super power was self preservation and the notebooks had been a diversion. "But," she says, "at least I learned to spell and developed legible handwriting."
A desire to see the things she wanted to write about sent teenage Rebekah traveling and exploring the lesser known corners of the world. At seventeen she learned to lay adobe bricks in the South American sun. At eighteen she visited the dense jungles of Papua New Guinea and the rain forests of New Britain.
In the fall of 1992 she returned to the United States for a boring three years of college, which finally paid off in a BA in Linguistics and Ethnology.
Papua New Guinea had sparked a passion to go where no one else had been before and at age twenty-one Rebekah returned to the South Pacific island hailed by many to be “the most dangerous place in the world.”
For two years Rebekah lived in a grass hut on the mountain, learning the Kumboi language, listening to their stories and offering some of her own. In time, the Kumboi people decided the answer to their on-going cannibalism and sorcery problems was to hear more of “the truth.” They wanted the God that Rebekah told them about, but they needed a man to tell the stories, because in their culture, a woman cannot instruct the men.
So Rebekah wrote an open letter, posted it to the new-at-the-time “internet” and a cowboy in rural Alaska read the letter. He and his wife and children flew to Papua New Guinea, and moved into the grass hut on the mountain and began to learn the language.
Rebekah’s work in the jungle was finished, and she was very ill with malaria. She returned to the USA briefly for medical care, and then decided to travel Southeast Asia. Her younger brother joined her and together they scuba dived the warm waters of south Thailand, hiked the mountains of northern Laos and explored vast underground caverns.
At twenty-four years of age, Rebekah landed in Israel, and from there she explored parts of Jordan and Egypt. She camped beside minefields on the borders of Israel and Lebanon, and worked in a youth hostel, providing free bibles in many languages to visitors from all over the world.
Illness once again began to threaten her life and health, and finally, at age twenty-five, Rebekah returned to the USA for rest and care. She recovered her strength quickly, and travelled west to New Mexico to visit a friend.
In New Mexico, Rebekah met Gabriel Anast, a bearded inventor and free-thinker, who at the time owned a used bookstore in downtown Gallup. Rebekah and Gabe spent hours talking to about all the things that interested them. The proverbial “fell in love” phrase seems insufficient to describe the strength of the relationship that developed between them. Rebekah loved Gabe’s desire to be a daddy, and that he was a thinker and doer, not a follower. Gabe loved Rebekah’s willingness to live a life of discovery, regardless of the cost.
Rebekah and Gabe married in the year 2000. The wide open spaces of New Mexico, the multi-cultural population, and the mountains and the forests felt like home to Rebekah. She and Gabe began to dream and plan for a very unusual lifestyle: living off the land. To them, knowledge of “the basics” represented true freedom and strength.
Today, Rebekah leans against a cedar wood tree on the edge of a pasture, writing her stories and watching her children play. One of her miniature Jersey cows wanders by to sniff her notebook and attempts to steal it for a snack. Who knew cows like to eat paper?
A desire to see the things she wanted to write about sent teenage Rebekah traveling and exploring the lesser known corners of the world. At seventeen she learned to lay adobe bricks in the South American sun. At eighteen she visited the dense jungles of Papua New Guinea and the rain forests of New Britain.
In the fall of 1992 she returned to the United States for a boring three years of college, which finally paid off in a BA in Linguistics and Ethnology.
Papua New Guinea had sparked a passion to go where no one else had been before and at age twenty-one Rebekah returned to the South Pacific island hailed by many to be “the most dangerous place in the world.”
For two years Rebekah lived in a grass hut on the mountain, learning the Kumboi language, listening to their stories and offering some of her own. In time, the Kumboi people decided the answer to their on-going cannibalism and sorcery problems was to hear more of “the truth.” They wanted the God that Rebekah told them about, but they needed a man to tell the stories, because in their culture, a woman cannot instruct the men.
So Rebekah wrote an open letter, posted it to the new-at-the-time “internet” and a cowboy in rural Alaska read the letter. He and his wife and children flew to Papua New Guinea, and moved into the grass hut on the mountain and began to learn the language.
Rebekah’s work in the jungle was finished, and she was very ill with malaria. She returned to the USA briefly for medical care, and then decided to travel Southeast Asia. Her younger brother joined her and together they scuba dived the warm waters of south Thailand, hiked the mountains of northern Laos and explored vast underground caverns.
At twenty-four years of age, Rebekah landed in Israel, and from there she explored parts of Jordan and Egypt. She camped beside minefields on the borders of Israel and Lebanon, and worked in a youth hostel, providing free bibles in many languages to visitors from all over the world.
Illness once again began to threaten her life and health, and finally, at age twenty-five, Rebekah returned to the USA for rest and care. She recovered her strength quickly, and travelled west to New Mexico to visit a friend.
In New Mexico, Rebekah met Gabriel Anast, a bearded inventor and free-thinker, who at the time owned a used bookstore in downtown Gallup. Rebekah and Gabe spent hours talking to about all the things that interested them. The proverbial “fell in love” phrase seems insufficient to describe the strength of the relationship that developed between them. Rebekah loved Gabe’s desire to be a daddy, and that he was a thinker and doer, not a follower. Gabe loved Rebekah’s willingness to live a life of discovery, regardless of the cost.
Rebekah and Gabe married in the year 2000. The wide open spaces of New Mexico, the multi-cultural population, and the mountains and the forests felt like home to Rebekah. She and Gabe began to dream and plan for a very unusual lifestyle: living off the land. To them, knowledge of “the basics” represented true freedom and strength.
Today, Rebekah leans against a cedar wood tree on the edge of a pasture, writing her stories and watching her children play. One of her miniature Jersey cows wanders by to sniff her notebook and attempts to steal it for a snack. Who knew cows like to eat paper?
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 14, 2014
“Holy Cow” this book is fantastic!
I was drawn to this story like a magnet as a typical ‘country’ girl; fan of Farming {and agriculture} as well as a keen equestrian enthusiast & horse rider. I have always been fascinated with American Western-style riding, Rodeo’s and Cattle ranches and so as a UK resident this book was really insightful. Wonderfully eclectic and rich in diversity {from family life to high-quality food}, HOLY COW really does encapsulate the author’s experiences and reality.
“Morning in the mountains is amazing…Everything smells new, just like it got there for the first time when the sun came up. A light dew makes everything sparkle in the rising sun. I’ve noticed that the morning colors are crisp and new, like the stainless milk bucket just after I wash and dry it.” – quote
Ideal for the Younger reader this fun, entertaining romp through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Ramona N Morgan is colourful and dynamic. She was such a likable protagonist whom you could really look up to, and who many younger readers will be able to empathize with and relate to on a personal level. The emphasis on the importance of family and love was placed upon Anna, Jacob, Will and Squeaks {aka. Susanna} whose individual quirks captured my heart!
Not only does this book touch upon those feelings stronger than friendship as Ramona’s cousin Daniel visits, but also it likewise clearly paints a vivid picture of that transitory stage between child and teenager. I learnt a lot about GM {Genetically Modified} foods and sustainable farming, crops and cattle and so this is an educational tale too. Containing simply scrumptious recipes from the farm; such as buttermilk pancakes and Tortillas I was very impressed by this book!!
I would like to thank Rebekah Joy Anast for sending me a physical copy of her debut novel “Holy Cow” to read and review.
I was drawn to this story like a magnet as a typical ‘country’ girl; fan of Farming {and agriculture} as well as a keen equestrian enthusiast & horse rider. I have always been fascinated with American Western-style riding, Rodeo’s and Cattle ranches and so as a UK resident this book was really insightful. Wonderfully eclectic and rich in diversity {from family life to high-quality food}, HOLY COW really does encapsulate the author’s experiences and reality.
“Morning in the mountains is amazing…Everything smells new, just like it got there for the first time when the sun came up. A light dew makes everything sparkle in the rising sun. I’ve noticed that the morning colors are crisp and new, like the stainless milk bucket just after I wash and dry it.” – quote
Ideal for the Younger reader this fun, entertaining romp through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Ramona N Morgan is colourful and dynamic. She was such a likable protagonist whom you could really look up to, and who many younger readers will be able to empathize with and relate to on a personal level. The emphasis on the importance of family and love was placed upon Anna, Jacob, Will and Squeaks {aka. Susanna} whose individual quirks captured my heart!
Not only does this book touch upon those feelings stronger than friendship as Ramona’s cousin Daniel visits, but also it likewise clearly paints a vivid picture of that transitory stage between child and teenager. I learnt a lot about GM {Genetically Modified} foods and sustainable farming, crops and cattle and so this is an educational tale too. Containing simply scrumptious recipes from the farm; such as buttermilk pancakes and Tortillas I was very impressed by this book!!
I would like to thank Rebekah Joy Anast for sending me a physical copy of her debut novel “Holy Cow” to read and review.
March 2, 2014
This book was amazing. I loved every word of it. The family in it were great characters, each one being very respectful and adoring each other. The setting was ideal and the story was interesting. This author knows how to captivate a reader. I was truly gutted when the book finished. Cant wait for the second in the series.
March 22, 2014
What a great book! Not only by a local author (from the Gallup, NM area), but about the possibilities! I recommend this book for folks looking to read about GMOs, sustainable living and the area around Gallup, NM!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews