The Five Lost Days

by William Petrick

Struggling documentary producer Michael Burns has traveled to the remote Maya Mountains of Belize to capture exclusive footage of the last surviving curandero. The traditional Mayan healer may hold the key to discovering new medicines among the vast, uncharted flora of the rain forest. But with a violent civil war spilling across the border from neighboring Guatemala - and Burns inexplicably drawn to the aging curandero's American apprentice - the filmmakers stumble into a more explosive story than they ever could have imagined. At once an adventure and an exploration into the nature of perception, THE FIVE LOST DAYS exposes the clash between modern culture and ancient beliefs.

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 17, 2008

About the author

In fifth grade, my mother signed me up for the Great Books program, an after school activity that required students to read classics of literature and philosophy. The day I read Jack London's short story, "To Build a Fire" was monumental. I loved the story's mix of literary description and extreme adventure. At the same time, I was filled with wonder: "You can do this just with words?". From that moment on, I was on fire, writing stories. The writing has never stopped even though it would be many years before my first story was published.

In college, I discovered the vivid writing of James Baldwin. Some critics called his work "purple prose" but I found it alive with emotion and remarkable feeling. His advice on writing was encapsulated in this challenge: "Don't show me a sunset. Make me feel it."
A few years later, while experiencing an eight hour delay on the tarmac at Kennedy airport, I reluctantly picked up Proust's "Swan's Way" of Remembrance of Things Past. Like that Jack London story decades earlier, I was astounded. You can change time and point of view---sometimes within the same paragraph? His great writing inspired everything I have penned since, including the title story of my collection, "Video Verite."
Next, in succession, came the stories and novels of Graham Greene, Russell Banks and especially, Robert Stone. Their big. sprawling adventure tales, written in brawny, energetic prose opened my eyes to story-telling that was engaged in the broader world of politics and war and society. Like London and Proust, they showed me what could be done.
Novelist Thomas Wolfe once wrote that Americans were never happier than when they were moving, going somewhere. I know I've never wanted to do anything less. Travel meant adventure and adventure is what I've lived for--both in my fiction writing and my work in television documentary. There is no more exciting journey than to launch yourself on a new story, following along on its creation. Documentary filmmaking has allowed similar wanderings, plunging into new, unfamiliar worlds. Those professional routes came together in my first novel, "The Five Lost Days".

Reviews

[Dani Peloquin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reader first meets producer Michael Burns as he is traveling through the mountains of Belize with his film crew to shoot of documentary on the last living Maya healer. While Burns' crew complains about the weather and their accommodations, Burns is completely in his element. From the very start, the motley team meets some quirky natives who help guide them to the house where two Americans live. Frank and Kelly, are a married couple who moved to Belize years ago for work. Kelly works for a pharmaceutical company, trying to find new herbs that can be used in medicines. While Frank, is caught up in the violent war that is spilling into Belize from Guatemala. When Burns arrives with his cameras and lights, Kelly is more than willing to help while Frank is suspicious of the crew's intentions. Problems arise when the crew arrives at Kelly and Frank's only to find that they lost their film somewhere along the way. One of Burns' crew members breaks off from the group to go find the footage only to discover that the country is riddled with much more violence than anyone thought. It is not long before Burns and his remaining crew members find themselves at odds with the people and the unforgiving jungle. Suddenly, what began as a five day film shoot for a documentary becomes a fit for their lives.

There are several things with which I think Petrick did an excellent job. The first was how at the beginning of each chapter, there was a sketch of an herb, its name, and its healing power. I found this to be fascinating and found myself looking forward to this short passages. Second, I loved Petrick's description of the jungle and overall landscape. I felt as if it was its own character that had a back story, feelings, desires, and complicated relationships. There are few novels that I have read that have made me feel so connected to the jungle. Lastly, I thought that Petrick did a very good job in establishing these characters. I am usually leery of any novel that has more than two main characters, mainly because I can never keep more than five characters straight. However, Petrick has SEVEN main characters all of whom were wonderfully developed and very distinct from each other (even I could keep keep track).

Though I thought that Petrick did a very good job, I did have some concerns about the novel. At times, I felt as if the book was pulling me in too many directions. In one chapter, I would be introduced to a possible love triangle between Burns, Frank, and Kelly only to be thrown into a violent confrontation between a boy soldier and one of Burns' crew members. When I had come to grips with that situation, I would be hurled into the mind of the Maya healer and his loneliness only to be shot into Burns' struggle with commitment to his current girlfriend. Each of these stories were interesting, but at times they distracted me and I completed the book without really knowing what the purpose was. Sometimes it seems like a book about the hardships of producing a film, only to shift and be about the atrocities of war or how a marriage can change over a period of time without anyone noticing. Yet, my major concern was over the ending of the novel and the fact that it didn't have one. All of these great plot points keep barreling at the reader only to have the novel just stop without truly ending. I hope this is because Petrick is writing a sequel, but if not...maybe he should think about it because he has enough good material here for a series!

www.iamliteraryaddicted.blogspot.com

[Bookventures Book Club · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a really hard time reading this book and I don’t think it’s because the contents of the book is poor. The Five Lost Days has been on my ‘currently reading’ stand for three weeks now. Whenever I pick it up to read, I read a page or two and then put it back down again. Aside from worrying that my to-read pile is yet again getting out of control and moving to a new home, I have not been able to concentrate on the story and I have only managed to read the first 8 chapters. At this rate, finishing the story seems highly unlikely and with a number of books still to read, I figure that it’s time for me to give up this book and place it in my DNC/WCB (did not complete/will come back to) pile.

In all honestly and fairness to the author (who I am sure, worked really hard on the book), the plot sounds very interesting. In the first five chapters of the story we are introduced to the amazing landscape of Belize. The descriptions are quite vivid and with a hint of realism (maybe Petrick has been there before) and it makes for a great portal of escape to the readers. Petrick further adds authenticity to his book by including little tid-bits about exotic plants found in the Belize jungle and their uses at the beginning of every chapter. The characters that were introduced are all different and dynamic and I am sure that it would be a joy to get to see them develop as the story progresses.

Though the story starts off a bit slowly in my opinion, I thought that it progressed nicely and if my imagination is any good this story will unravel quite interestingly. From the point of view of 8 chapters, I would say give this book a try. Unfortunately I can’t lend you my copy since I do intent to return to it once things settle down on my end.

[Sharon M Bressen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Five Lost Days
By William Petrick

This book was received from the LibraryThing Member Giveaway program in exchange for a review.

In The Five Lost Days by William Petrick, a documentary film crew lead by Michael Burns from the United States is assigned a project to get the story of a Mayan village healer who might have knowledge of ancient plants that could be new medicines.

Trouble is he is allowed only five days to travel to the Belize jungle, film and return. We find out this all takes place during with Wayeb’ (called Uayeb), or the five unnamed days on the Mayan calendar…hence the title of the book.

Right from the beginning, the author, draws us into the mystery and suspense of the unknown through frightening canoe rides, lost supplies, intense heat, strange attractions and gruesome murder. The story line is fast paced and very compelling; the characters are familiar but also secretive. The book’s ending is very thought provoking and did not bother me at all.

This is the William Petrick debut novel and after reading it I look forward to his next novel. I recommend this book to those people who like a good thriller.

[Seth Roskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Five Lost Days is a love story about a filmmaker in love with his art, a biologist in love with her work and the people she serves and an over-the-hill civil rights working in love with justice. The thematic scope of the book is epic, tackling matters of international justice, corporate power and the long and storied journey of a person's heart that never finds it's end. Mr. Petrick tackles these themes with a flair for adventure, non-stop action, a driving plot while educating the reader about the use of rare plants in modern (as well as ancient) medicine, the socio-economic and political struggle of a country not often addressed in the media and the skill and passion required to make a world-shaking documentary or a weekly dateline NBC. I see some complaints on this page about the abruptness of the ending, but after much reflection there was no other option. The ending reminds of one of the major themes of the book, that the story never ends, long after dramatic climax we are still living with the soul we are born with and the choices we make. There is no more profound understanding that a person can have. Looking forward to his next book. Onward Bill.

[Donna Mccloskey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is probably the worst book I've ever read. Every cliche was in it, no plot, no character development. I have absolutely no idea what it was about. Got to the end and can't really can't believe I wasted time on it.

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

BELIZE -