Scythian Fields - Part One

by A.L. Duncan

1924. For anthropologist Oksana Dimitriova, this meant delving deeper than her life and all that Russia's university scholars had taught her. She had learned early in life that mixing science and the mystical life were something out of the ordinary, and that one didn't express an interest in them lest one was prepared to divulge a good defense against others harsh judgments. Influenced by their ancestors, Russia and its neighboring countries were imbued with cultures that had faithfully practiced timeless beliefs. As with all such beliefs, there is always a story that strengthens the future in legendary proportion. Time shifts, and events form into place. What was once, long ago, will return again. What Oksana didn't know was that according to the heavens, history was about to repeat itself.


With Lenin dead, Stalin's powerful dictatorship has unfolded a cataclysmic ripple of destruction that spread across the Caucasus Mountains into Georgia. The discovery of a 4th Century B.C. priestess-warrior will take Oksana on a journey to find the warrior woman's descendants, amid the chaos and evils of her nation's politics. This is a tale of two women, whose lives, and the lives of those around them, are bound in synchronicity. There will always be threads of life the constellations will connect. Does it matter the events are 2,500 years apart?



"There is a strangely prevailing spirit that wants us to discover something," said Oksana's mentor. "I know we have found a most unnatural treasure that will transform Russian hearts, and those of the world."

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2015

About the author

From the author's website: This Ohio farm girl was richly inspired by the philosophies and voices of Nature more so than anything academia could toss at me. Certainly a rebellion that didn’t spar well with teachers or parents. So, I trudged on. I believed they had something bigger and better in store for me. Even though I wasn’t paving my yellow brick road with anything but daydreams of keeping up with the boys and spending rainy Saturday afternoons with my dad watching documentaries like The World At War or a rerun of Tora! Tora! Tora! Such are, of course, the proper forms of entertainment for any well-bred military family.

Needless to say, after nearly failing in math and the sciences mom and dad didn’t exactly gasp with enthusiasm at my visions of becoming anything more than the spark of illumination to our cows; their deliverance being a smile and a bucket of feed. There must have been a strong Indian-storyteller gene in our DNA somewhere that saved me. At about age 4, I had become quite the family fabricator telling tall tales. Thank God my mother had the foresight to direct these energies in a more positive and certainly more respectable direction! Our hometown had a well-stocked library. When not indulging in my illustration skills as a budding artist, my head was bowing over subjects that fit my fancy. Usually that meant anything other than what school was attempting to sink into my uninterested brain. Subjects like Forbidden Knowledge, Mysticism, World Religions and Mythology. With interest and not much clarity, I began to sense I could write my own stories, with the teachers applauding me every step of the way. Until now, well into my 40’s, I’ve kept this ‘hobby’ to myself.

Today, I read the classics, study essays, bio’s, and lectures on them. I also live a comfortable philosophy and spirituality in an ever-expanding world that my ancestors probably wouldn’t have dared unmask in their own by-gone eras of an uncompromising society. I
appreciate the ability to express myself as a creative human being in today’s ever-changing and diverse society. An age where sharing the freedom of intimate aspirations and the growth of optimism, encouragement and individual empowerment is a good thing.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first line of the preface to the last line of the book, Scythian Fields Part 1 by A. L. Duncan is a luminous story that brings the ancient past and the modern era face to face. Set in 1924 Russia, Professor of Anthropology Oksana Dimitriova navigates between her scientific instincts and her mystical nature and the discovery of the remains of a 4th century warrior priestess compels her to uncover the secrets of a long forgotten culture and leads her to seek out the connections to the present. Could this priestess, Attia Matuna have descendants? Working against the secrecy and paranoia of Stalinist Russia, the professor sets out on a perilous journey. Skillfully weaving the past and the present, the author creates an alluring atmosphere as the lives of these 2 women, separated by 2,500 years run parallel to each other. It is hard to put into words how beautiful the writing is, it shines with the deepest appreciation for the beauty of language in the hands of a master. This is story telling of the highest order with a fascinating and compelling plot, an adventure of the mind as well as an inspired and richly told narrative. It has excitement, mysticism, and is written with great intelligence. There is a refined sensibility at work here, no wasted words, no filler, just incandescent story telling. I take delight in knowing the author was inspired by a PBS documentary Secrets of the Dead: Amazon Warrior Women-I had seen this episode myself and found it stirred my imagination too. I look forward to Part 2 of this engaging and intelligent novel.