Anasazi Harvest

R. Leland Waldrip

With the glut of alien stories (Aliens, Encounters, Terminators, Predators, X Files, etc.) in the news, the reader may be tempted to think that the alien scene has been defined. Not so! This book takes a startlingly different look. Your semi-civilized, other side will be nudged awake by this tale of a Navajo guide troubled by strange happenings in his Farmington, New Mexico community: murderous events and strange dreams. Chaco Rivers Joseph makes a bizarre discovery - something that will involve him in a war between alien forces determined to be the sole benefactors of the Anasazi heritage!

Characters come to vivid life in this fast moving tale. The reader is transported into a colourful land of small towns, sparse water and wooded mesas. Expect surprises and adrenalin rushes. Rich, brightly hued descriptions delightfully depict local flora and fauna, the landscape and its inhabitants, their weather and ecology - the dry lyrics and music of the desert. An unforgettable experience! Your concept of “aliens” will change forever.

Review by Molly Martin (151003) Rating (9/10)

Review by Molly Martin
Something peculiar is going on out in Navaho country. People are dying. The cause is not clear. When the police need help they call on Chaco Rivers. Chaco has been having dreams, or something for about a month. Nothing you can really put a finger on, but something is wrong. Bodies have been found, and forensics is finding something odd in the blood of the deceased. Chaco is having personal problems too. His girlfriend Anita is just about ready to call it quits when she enlists the help of a revered clan member. One night Chaco awakens to find someone he does not know is in his room. Talking with the intruder, making a trip to a local abortion clinic and meeting some folks new to the area help Chaco understand there is more to this situation than he had realised.

Writer Waldrip has taken an old theme –aliens- and has come up with a surprising NEW slant on the subject. Aliens and alien stories abound; none come close to the premise offered in Anasazi Harvest by this clever, capable author. Writer Waldrip uses his obvious enormous store of Navaho knowledge to construct a delightful work combining space aliens and the descendants of the Anasazi people in a credible, fiduciary work.

Twists, turns, potent motivations teem in this well crafted narrative of calenture, yearning and seemingly unattainable plight. In Anasazi Harvest Waldrip reaches out to the reader from the opening lines wherein he brings into being a mutable, resplendent tapestry against which this writer will weave his story. I know the area Waldrip refers to in his book. He has caught the locale to perfection. Waldrip’s carefully chosen words came alive as I pictured each setting.

Characters are richly drawn, dialogue is believable, and interaction between players is often gritty and filled with complicity. This skilfully interwoven tale bringing together both the Anazai people and the aliens who come to work among them keeps the reader intrigued in this fast paced page-turner. The reader is drawn into the tale and held fast from the opening paragraph in this complex tale of powerful motivations, suspenseful plot and shocking experience.

Anasazi Harvest is a book sure to delight those who enjoy reading a book that isn’t but well may be. Who knows whether the circumstance offered in Anasazi Harvest is only a product of this talented authors fertile thinking or may in fact be true.

Entertaining read, perfect for a lazy afternoon. Happy to recommend.
Molly Martin (15th October 2003)