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Talking to the Ground: One Family's Journey on Horseback Across the Sacred Land of the Navajo
In 1992 Doug Preston and his family rode horseback across 400 miles of desert in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. They were retracing the route of the Navajo deity Naayee neizghani, the Slayer of Alien Gods, on his quest to restore beauty and balance to the Earth. More than a travelogue, Preston's account of the journey is a tale of two cultures meeting in a sacred land.
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
33 people are currently reading
741 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
183 books13.6k followersDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
April 27, 2024
This was actually my second time reading this book, the occasion sparked by its rerelease with a brand new Epilogue.
For describing the book, I honestly can't improve upon the first two sentences from the back of the jacket: “In the summer of 1992, Douglas Preston took his fiancée and her nine-year-old daughter on a 400-mile horseback journey through the deserts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. They retraced the mythical route of the Navajo deity Naayéé’ neizghání on his quest to restore beauty and balance to the Earth.”
As well as the travelogue, we also get a recounting of the Navajo creation story and a general history--both pre- and post-Columbian-- of the area. Yes, that sounds potentially boring, but, as fans of Preston’s work (*raises hand*) know, he is incapable of writing dry and dull books. Far from overwhelming the travelogue, the teach-y bits are sprinkled throughout in just the right portions to add spice and depth to the narrative.
I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that the experience helped to bring Doug, Christine, and Selene together as a family. The descriptions of their travel are moving and evocative. As an experienced armchair traveler, I found this book eminently satisfying. I’m kind of curious about what an audiobook version of this would be like. I imagine that my mental image of how the Navajo phrases are pronounced is not even close to accurate. The few times when no one was around that I attempted them out loud only resulted in the cats staring at me judgmentally.
Excellent book! Recommended!
For describing the book, I honestly can't improve upon the first two sentences from the back of the jacket: “In the summer of 1992, Douglas Preston took his fiancée and her nine-year-old daughter on a 400-mile horseback journey through the deserts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. They retraced the mythical route of the Navajo deity Naayéé’ neizghání on his quest to restore beauty and balance to the Earth.”
As well as the travelogue, we also get a recounting of the Navajo creation story and a general history--both pre- and post-Columbian-- of the area. Yes, that sounds potentially boring, but, as fans of Preston’s work (*raises hand*) know, he is incapable of writing dry and dull books. Far from overwhelming the travelogue, the teach-y bits are sprinkled throughout in just the right portions to add spice and depth to the narrative.
I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that the experience helped to bring Doug, Christine, and Selene together as a family. The descriptions of their travel are moving and evocative. As an experienced armchair traveler, I found this book eminently satisfying. I’m kind of curious about what an audiobook version of this would be like. I imagine that my mental image of how the Navajo phrases are pronounced is not even close to accurate. The few times when no one was around that I attempted them out loud only resulted in the cats staring at me judgmentally.
Excellent book! Recommended!
December 11, 2017
This book had an impressive immediacy; I felt that I had ridden across the Navajo reservation by the time I finished the book. Preston decided to follow the detailed descriptions of the Monster Slayer's peregrinations from the origin tales of the tribe and his choice surprised virtually every native American he met. He was accompanied by his fiancee and her young daughter, at first recalcitrant and finally able to admit she'd be glad to have gone once it was over. It was sad that she had to rely so heavily on her gameboy on the trip, but she did finally learn to enjoy riding her horse. The way that land is integral to the Navajo belief system came through clearly, and the comparisons with today's American society were distressingly apposite. I loved this book. I read it in tandem with Silko's Turquoise Ledge, also steeped in Native American spiritual beliefs, and they resonated synergistically.
Want to read
June 5, 2019Pre-ordered signed edition released June 5
January 5, 2021
I picked up this book at a local bookstore at the start of a roadtrip in New Mexico, but unfortunately did not get around to reading most of it until after I got home. My biggest regret is not finding this book and reading it BEFORE the trip... The author’s story of his family bonding aside (okay as is), this book paints a beautifully poetic picture of Navajo Nation, the Navajo creation story, and the spirit of the Navajo people that arises from the land itself. The intermittent maps throughout the book added further color and context to connect the story spatially.
Though I would certainly need to read a telling of the creation story written by an actual member of the Navajo community to verify, Preston’s interactions with the Navajo and his telling of the stories they relayed to him (acknowledging some were too sacred to be shared with an outsider) felt genuine and authentic. Getting a deeper understanding of the extent to which soul and earth are one for the Navajo, it hurt my heart to simply imagine how painful it must be to be stripped of ownership or access to not just the place you call home, but the place that is the genisis of your existence in the universe.
While anyone interested in learning more about the geographic area and the Navajo would enjoy this book, I think that it really enhances the reading experience if you have travelled through the Navajo Nation / four-corners area and are familiar with some of the key landmarks within it that are all uniquely integral parts of their creation story (e.g. Monument Valley, Shiprock, etc...). Alternatively, you could read the book first to turn your future SW desert roadtrip into a truly reflective, spiritual experience. I was so inspired that I’ve already mapped out my next roadtrip to visit more of the monuments and landmarks referenced in the book.
Despite all of the book’s merits, I had to dock one star because the ending left a bit to be desired... there was no sense of closure or completion to the story of Preston’s journey. Ultimately, it is the Navajo creation story here that really makes this book worth its while - the family travelogue is just a nice add-on.
Though I would certainly need to read a telling of the creation story written by an actual member of the Navajo community to verify, Preston’s interactions with the Navajo and his telling of the stories they relayed to him (acknowledging some were too sacred to be shared with an outsider) felt genuine and authentic. Getting a deeper understanding of the extent to which soul and earth are one for the Navajo, it hurt my heart to simply imagine how painful it must be to be stripped of ownership or access to not just the place you call home, but the place that is the genisis of your existence in the universe.
While anyone interested in learning more about the geographic area and the Navajo would enjoy this book, I think that it really enhances the reading experience if you have travelled through the Navajo Nation / four-corners area and are familiar with some of the key landmarks within it that are all uniquely integral parts of their creation story (e.g. Monument Valley, Shiprock, etc...). Alternatively, you could read the book first to turn your future SW desert roadtrip into a truly reflective, spiritual experience. I was so inspired that I’ve already mapped out my next roadtrip to visit more of the monuments and landmarks referenced in the book.
Despite all of the book’s merits, I had to dock one star because the ending left a bit to be desired... there was no sense of closure or completion to the story of Preston’s journey. Ultimately, it is the Navajo creation story here that really makes this book worth its while - the family travelogue is just a nice add-on.
September 4, 2020
A fantastic, well written and well researched non-fiction ride through the Navajo territory,history and myths.The horses, THE WEATHER, the fascinating people met along the way. As a Bilag'aana who has long admired Native culture and beliefs (some of which I share-such as the balance in Nature)-having attended singing and dances at our local reservation (Shinnecock Southampton) for more than forty years, and a horse person who still mucks a stall today-Preston writes true and I learned so much about a people and area of the country I have never travelled through. Well- I feel like I have now! Take the ride.
October 5, 2019
Wonderful story of the author's 400 mile trip, with his fiancee and her 9 year old daughter, on horseback through the Navajo nation's land tracing the story of their creation myth.
January 5, 2025
A beautiful, moving tale. It may disguise itself as “adventure story” but is so much more. Filled with beauty and heartbreak it teaches most valuable lessons - and debates some of archeology’s most puzzling questions.
July 14, 2022
Great nonfiction storytelling about his journey in the Southwest.
January 15, 2022
Upon realizing that prominent land forms in the Navajo creation myth story are actually still on earth--albeit with American names--author Douglas Preston, his fiancee Christine and her 9-year-old daughter Selene set off on horseback to follow a trail blazed by a Navajo god as part of his journey to rid the world of evil forces. They wind through incredible slickrock areas, up towering mesas, through pinon forests and into deep canyons filled with Anasazi ruins. Along the way, they meet lone Navajo people living still in remote deserts and--out in the open on their horses without protection-- experience every kind of weather imaginable: wind, rain, hail, ice pellets plus dust and sand storms. It's the kind of book that makes you hold your breath and wonder...will they make it out of this? Knowing full well that they MUST have otherwise there would be no book :) Mr. Preston weaves the turquoise and silver threads of the Navajo history into the fabric of this story seamlessly. So much of the history is left in the form of stories only with the remaining elderly Navajos. Although I did not agree with his thoughts on Christianity, I certainly couldn't disagree with his opinions that most nations of the earth are intent on economic power and are destroying the earth as a result. If you enjoy travel essays or are interested in Navajo history and culture, you would enjoy this book!
July 30, 2019
5 STARS is not enough! Just finished the book by Douglas Preston, Talking to The Ground. WOW! Excellent book about his journey on horseback with his then fiancé and her nine year old daughter thorough the American Southwest. They followed the 400 mile treck through Navajo country and Mr. Preston has put together an amazing story of adventure and of discovery of which some of it is heartbreaking! Bringing into the light the truth behind the Navajo creation story and the lost people we call Anasazi. For myself this book really was an eye opener. I am of the mindset that everything we've been taught by the establishment is untrue and this book for myself, is just more proof of that. The conclusion will blow your mind, so I won't spoil it by giving it away. I will say that this book is a MUST read for anyone seeking truth and putting the puzzle pieces together about what we see happening in America today. Thank you Douglas Preston.
October 3, 2017
If you love the Southwest and a bit of history re: Dine or Navaho people this is your book. Traveling horseback around Monument valley, 3 people bonding their family and enjoying pure nature. This is your book.
November 10, 2019
I grabbed a copy of this book at Maria's bookstore in downtown Durango, Colorado, on the recommendation of an employee there named Kirbie. I'm working with the leadership at Fort Lewis College on a project through work called Project Capstone (https://www.entangled.solutions/proje...). As part of that, I'm trying to better understand the region through literature. I read a book of Navajo Coyote tales, and am also currently reading A House Made of Dawn (on the recommendation of a member of the Southern Ute Tribal Council).
Talking to the Ground nailed it for me. Doug Preston is an entertaining writer. He opens up about his relationship challenges and hid budding relationship with his wife Christine and adopted daughter Selene, which makes for a much more personal and poignant story.
The three take the path of the Monster Slayer, throughout the Four Corners region and Navajo Nation. Along the way, Preston recounts some of the Navajo creation story (for more there, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Din%C3%...). His interest in understanding the indigenous peoples of the Southwest is sincere and borne out in numerous examples of friends made and won along their route.
I read the re-released version of the book (2019). I was disappointed to find that the photos in the middle of the book are black and white and on the same paper used for the text. The photos are available in color (see them on Poisoned Pen's website here: https://poisonedpen.com/2019/04/24/do...). So why not include them in the book? This was a major miss by the publisher, especially given how important the scenes of natural beauty are to making this book so powerful.
Talking to the Ground nailed it for me. Doug Preston is an entertaining writer. He opens up about his relationship challenges and hid budding relationship with his wife Christine and adopted daughter Selene, which makes for a much more personal and poignant story.
The three take the path of the Monster Slayer, throughout the Four Corners region and Navajo Nation. Along the way, Preston recounts some of the Navajo creation story (for more there, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Din%C3%...). His interest in understanding the indigenous peoples of the Southwest is sincere and borne out in numerous examples of friends made and won along their route.
I read the re-released version of the book (2019). I was disappointed to find that the photos in the middle of the book are black and white and on the same paper used for the text. The photos are available in color (see them on Poisoned Pen's website here: https://poisonedpen.com/2019/04/24/do...). So why not include them in the book? This was a major miss by the publisher, especially given how important the scenes of natural beauty are to making this book so powerful.
January 23, 2023
This author, besides being part of the pair that writes the Pendergast series, also has written several books on his own travels. This book is the tale of his trip through New Mexico on the Navajo reservation following the trail of the creation story of their land. The entire trip was done on horseback through an area of New Mexico that is covered by canyons, deserts, monoliths, and areas of grasslands and pastures. There are limited residential population sections in the area, which are mostly off the grid and not urbanized dwellings but it suits the area well because it doesn't deplete the land resources. But if one is prepared to live camp style, it can be an endurable lifestyle. I am more of an urban person so this isn't my style of vacation. The book takes us through the travels and describes all the visits of the geography seen and the weather conditions endured.
What I like about the description of the experience was the tale of Serena, who was about 10, and her reactions to being on this camping trip. Plus I can see how impressed the author of these areas is that he incorporated the locations into several of the books written later.
What I like about the description of the experience was the tale of Serena, who was about 10, and her reactions to being on this camping trip. Plus I can see how impressed the author of these areas is that he incorporated the locations into several of the books written later.
April 8, 2025
I am of mixed feelings with this book. The author is obviously an expert that is well versed and knowledgeable on the creation histories of the Navajos and I found the explanations, descriptions, and stories absolutely fascinating. But I did not get a clear sense of how well the author understands or appreciates the current/modern Navajo culture and community. I found myself wondering how many Navajo have read his book and what they think of it. I hope well, but I would be interested in their thoughts too. The undertaking of such a rigorous adventure is quite monumental, and I appreciate the intention that the experience would hopefully build stronger and deeper relationships between the soon to be family. Some of the relayed experiences contributed to the story, but others I found quite distracting - most especially concerning the child that did was not that enthusiastic about the trip, and I felt could have used some lessons in more respectful behavior toward the horse that was carrying her many hours a day for several days and weeks…
January 5, 2026
We got a shelf full of "different" books from a neighbor that was moving. I gave her boxes and materials for packing, she let me look through her box of books she was getting rid of. Most are outside of our usual reading genre AND have never been read. One such book was Talking to the Ground. It gave insight to the Anasazi culture, the Navajos (ancient and recent history), and the cruelty of the whites towards the natives. It was all within the telling his tale of a white guy with his girlfriend and her daughter following Monster Slayer's course through (mostly) the rez covering the four corner states, on horseback. The author relied on the good will of native Americans on the rez, and they generously gave them shelter and told tales of their culture. I really felt like my horizon was expanded and I was seeing things in a completely different way, reading a book written back in the early 1990's. We are filing this with our Native American section in our library, at a prominent place.
March 29, 2020
I have always loved the American southwest. It has a beauty all its own. Timeless.
This book details the journey one family takes through the Navajo nation tracing the path of the Navajo creation mythology. Now Doug Preston is one of my favorite authors, and I went in with kind of a positive bias to the book.
I learned a lot about the Navajo people and their connection to the land they live in. It really made me think about how they and other indigenous people have been destroyed by Western cultures.
If I have any complaints about the book, it is with the way it ended. To me it seems like Preston could have completed the story of their trip and not left us hanging. He did add an epilog, but it discussed more of the history and recent research than the trip itself. Otherwise it is a great story and should be read by sll.
This book details the journey one family takes through the Navajo nation tracing the path of the Navajo creation mythology. Now Doug Preston is one of my favorite authors, and I went in with kind of a positive bias to the book.
I learned a lot about the Navajo people and their connection to the land they live in. It really made me think about how they and other indigenous people have been destroyed by Western cultures.
If I have any complaints about the book, it is with the way it ended. To me it seems like Preston could have completed the story of their trip and not left us hanging. He did add an epilog, but it discussed more of the history and recent research than the trip itself. Otherwise it is a great story and should be read by sll.
February 1, 2025
Perhaps the best book I’ve read this year. In 1992, Douglas Preston took his girlfriend and her daughter on an extraordinary journey across the Diné Bikeyah, the original Navajo land of the southwest. They followed the path of Monster Slayer, the central figure of the Navajo creation story. This is a memoir of that journey on horseback, meeting amazing people along the way, and learning how the Navajo view the world. Preston writes with such clarity that, at times, I felt as though I was on the journey with him. Much of the journey is through land I have been to but never appreciated or fully understood it’s importance to creation. Most importantly, I learned a lot along the way and have a deep appreciation of the Navajo people, their way of life, and their story of creation. An incredible work by an incredible author about an incredible people and their incredible story.
March 13, 2023
The family dynamics make this book readable as Douglas and his future stepdaughter form a stronger, and loving, bond on their horseback trip following the route of the Navajo creation myth. There are great details about the desert in Arizona and New Mexico and of the lives of the Navajos who kindly offered shelter and assistance during their trek. However, it disturbed me that their horses and pet dog were put through unnecessary life threatening trauma just because the author wanted to trace this route. The narrative was broken with some inexcusably horrifying tales about how the US government treated the Navajo people; but, also, a lot of emphasis upon the creation tales which I found rather boring, to be honest. Interesting as a one-time read but not a keeper.
November 9, 2019
This epic horseback journey across the Navajo Nation is well-researched, informative and fun. Doug Preston takes is wife to be, and her nine year old daughter, with him on a harrowing trek that turned life-threatening on more than one occasion. Preston displays a deep knowledge of the Navajo, the ancient ones and the geography of the Navajo Nation. We visit canyons where ancient cliff dwellings that can’t be reached any other way than horseback. Camp out under the stars and feel a real connection to the land. Share this journey that brings the family together in a very special way. I loved this book and didn’t want it to end.
January 10, 2020
This smooth, flowing story mixes the journey through the sacred Navajo landscape with personal experiences and Navajo mythology. Preston's love of history and archaeology shines, as he leads the reader through his future family's quest to be transformed into a cohesive unit. The epilogue expands on the history with the addition of Christy Turner II's research, whose conclusions caused an uproar in the archaeological community. The whole combines into a fascinating read. As an added bonus, throughout the pages any reader familiar with Preston&Child books can recognize major plot points found in Thunderhead.
April 22, 2020
I really enjoyed learning about the Navajo Creation Story, their religion and beliefs. Preston's 400 mile ride on horseback through the deserts of the southwest with his then girlfriend and her daughter, neither of whom were experienced riders, was amazing and very high-risk. He incorporated the history of the ancient civilization of the Anasazi at Chaco Canyon and the exploration and destruction by a white amateur archeologist in the late 1800's for the benefit of the American Museum of Natural History in NY. Preston also covers the shameful American history of Kit Carson's attack of the Navejos in Canyon de Chelly and their subsequent 300 mile forced march to a reservation.
September 9, 2020
This was just a profound book for me, who tries to get to the Southwest every year - except this year’s trip was canceled by Covid. It was the story of the Navajo people and their creation myths, of the sacredness of the places encountered along this 400-mile journey on horseback, and of the evolution of a man, woman and a 9-year-old into a close, cohesive family. It reminds us what a blip we are in the history of the world, and of the ultimate futility of all our striving, inventing, controlling and greed. Makes me want to learn more about the peoples who inhabited these strange and beautiful lands.
April 6, 2022
Mr Preston has a breezy style and sense of history that combines for an engaging outcome regarding most any subject. He did a great job with, Cities of Gold,’ and does the same with this book of Navajo travel tales. His family undertakes the exploration of the Navajo Nation on horseback. In the process there are very interesting encounters with tribal members and characters who add deeply to the story. There is a lot to like about getting away from our digitally distorted days and reconnecting with nature on the back of horse in the desert. The book is a relaxing and entertaining trip that vicariously transports the reader to Navajo lands and history.
February 12, 2023
Powerful journey across the Southwest. Special interest in local NM landscapes, especially Mt Taylor. Excellent history and Navajo perspective from about as close as we can get, being white. Horseback journey away from “civilization” leaves the three transformed. Even the young daughter with her 90’s Gameboy finally got it. She was annoying most of the trip and I was hoping her Gameboy would be lost in the river. Chaco history is well-written, with an updated epilogue. Good choice for anyone interested in Navajo or Chaco history and to be immersed in the landscape, hence the title.
August 30, 2023
I have a degree in anthropology so this one was right up my alley. I came to Preston's work via his novels with Child, but was happy to find his archeology/anthropology heavy nonfiction as well. This one is an interesting mix of Navajo myth and culture, travelogue, and personal experiences of a family riding horseback to see Native American holy places. Because of the flipping from myth, to archeology details, to personal memoir, this book is a little disjointed...but he brings it all together in the end.
October 17, 2023
This true story of the author's 400 mile journey on horseback with his fiance and her nine-year-old daughter, Selene, was written in such a way that I felt like I was right there with them. There are actually several stories: Their perilous journey, the Navajo creation story, history, and their evolution as a family. I particularly enjoyed reading about Selene's reaction to all of their adventures. I would recommend it to anyone who loves history (particularly of the southwest) and adventure.
January 20, 2024
After a recent trip to Canyon de Chelly, this was a great book to read. Wish I’d read it beforehand. That said, it is an interesting book with the creation story of the Dine (Navajo people) tied into the authors journey by horseback across part of the Navajo lands. I really appreciated the sections where their interactions with the Navajo people shared their beliefs and connectedness to the land and how much we white people have disconnected. A good and thoughtful read!
And what an adventure to trek by horseback as well.
And what an adventure to trek by horseback as well.
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July 2, 2025Read this at the encouragement of my sister. Preston takes you on journey that is part history of the Navajo (which overlapped some with my reading of Hampton Sides' Blood and Thunder in 2024) and part exploration of the Southwest on horseback. I found the writing to be good but I always felt a bit lost; I never quite had a sense of where he was, geographically or personally. The most enjoyable part of the book was the characters that Preston meets along the way and the desolate landscapes he recounts.
September 17, 2020
I read this book when it first came out and loved it. I recently bought it again and was overjoyed that it was even better than I remembered. So well written, so complete, so beautifully descriptive of the land, the people, the philosophy, the mythology, the beauty itself. It is also lined with a tragic understory of who we were and are, and who the Navajo may become. A lose of balance. All so true.
April 18, 2021
I read this prior to a road trip to the area. I’m inspired by the Navajo creation story and cognizant of the beautiful but harsh country I will be traveling. Reading about experiencing the area on horseback gives me reverence for all those who traveled these lands over the ages. The modern family story was a good addition to the historical Navajo creation story. I’ve been to the area before but I will have a different and more intense experience after reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews