Anyone interested in mythology and legends will enjoy these stories which have been passed down orally for generations by the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest. They reveal Pueblo customs and traditions as well as the ceremonial aspects of Pueblo religion. A character called Grandfather, the fictional narrator of these stories, embodies the collective wisdom of the Pueblo Indians, the attitudes about universal dilemmas and conflicts in human life that developed through many generations.

Some of the stories are realistic; others involve the supernatural. Some evoke the initial contact between the pueblos and the Spanish conquistadors. There are also tales of the joy and bitterness of interactions between parents and children, husbands and wives, and humans and spirits. Rites of passage and "vision quests" often enter into the characters' attempts to live in harmony with nature, other humans, and spirits. Lessons on how to live, of growing up, marrying, parenting, and growing old sometimes emerge straightforwardly in these stories, but more often, readers are left to draw their own conclusions.

These stories, collected by the Teresa Pijoan since she was eight years old, actually came from many different storytellers, some of them childhood friends of the author. She had heard several versions of each story before writing it down and she often used elements from one version to fill in the parts missing from other versions. She then showed her drafts of each story to members of several different pueblos and weighed their comments before putting each story in its present form. Ms. Pijoan grew up on the San Juan Pueblo reservation and the Nambe Indian reservation in New Mexico, even though she herself is not Native American. But her early experiences and bicultural background instilled in her a deep respect for and an understanding of pueblo life.

In a small town in northern New Mexico a father's untimely death leads to mayhem and murder. Families find their lives threatened once the father's will is read for unlike his wife, he did not believe in primogeniture. Truth reveals that the father did not believe in his son Granger at all and herein begins the conflict. The father's death was to be Granger's salvation but Granger must now find a way to gain wealth in order to maintain a family male heir. The father's doctor and nurse know without a doubt that the father's death was not a natural one, but can they get the daughter Sophia to see the obvious as she suffers in her grief? Soon Granger is shown not to be as clever as he believes himself to be when someone else-someone who wants Granger's money and is equally as dangerous-comes on the scene and Granger soon becomes a victim. Sinister and clever machinations now outweigh truth and honesty. Sophia is not willing to let her home and her loved ones be separated from her without a fight as her relatives threaten to remove her from all she holds dear, including life itself. Can she survive and solve the mystery of her father's death? The body count piles up as the story unfolds. What appears obvious may not be easy to prove as the prodigal son falls. Includes Readers Guide. TERESA PIJOAN was born in Espanola, New Mexico, and grew up in Indian communities where she learned the ways and legends of the Native People. Her father was a public health doctor from Barcelona and her mother was a school teacher from New York. Her grandfather was the famous Spanish author, Jose Pijoan. Teresa Pijoan is a lecturer, storyteller, research writer, and teacher and has shared her storytelling throughout Central Europe, Mexico, and the United States. To storyteller Pijoan, myths are "magic lenses" through which cultures can be viewed, understood, and deeply appreciated. Other books by Teresa Pijoan are "Dead Kachina Man," "American Indian Creation Myths," "Healers on the Mountain," "Pueblo Indian Wisdom," "Native American Creation Stories of Family and Friendship" and "Ways of Indian Magic," all from Sunstone Press.

Recorded by the author from personal interviews with Native American storytellers, these stories hold the conflicts and compliments of family and/or situations that test relationships. The work is a reminder of how fragile everyone is during the struggles to survive youth, middle age, and older years.

A unique characteristic of Native American medicine is the belief that each patient holds a different spirit, and that the healing can only work when it affects the individual spirit. Mythology is essential to this healing process. The belief stories within these pages reflect a culture that holds both poignant and alarming lessons. Readers of this book will discover the intriguing past and knowledge of Native American history and beliefs which are more enlightening than they may have previously realized. Teresa Pijoan was raised as a young child on San Juan Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico by her Barcelona born father and her New York born mother. When Teresa was twelve years old, her family moved to Nambe Indian Reservation. She also spent several summers with her adopted aunt at Hopi. As a University of New Mexico at Valencia history professor, Teresa Pijoan, PhD, is an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, and lecturer. She has won many awards for her teaching and her publications. Her other books from Sunstone Press are "American Indian Creation Myths," "Pueblo Indian Wisdom," "Ways of Indian Magic," and "Dead Kachina Man."

Myths tell us much about a people. And all cultures have creation myths. The myths collected by the author in this book tell us about the rich and varied lives and imagination of the first Americans. They vary from simple to complex and all attempt to answer the question of human origin. Native Americans are of profound beginnings. Each Tribe, Group or Pueblo hold their beginning to be truths, unique from one another. The beliefs in this book are only a sampling of the many that still exist today. "In collecting these tales," the author says, "no tape recorder was used and no notes were taken during the telling. Immediately after the session copious notes were taken and later expanded into a recreation of the myth. Subjects were located through word of mouth and after a short time people started coming forward and volunteering their stories. The people hold the stories. May they continue to tell and share with their families, communities, and the outsiders. We have much to learn from Creation, from each other, and from the holders of the stories." TERESA PIJOAN was raised on the San Juan Pueblo Indian Reservation in New Mexico and later her family moved to the Nambe Indian Reservation. She is a national lecturer, storyteller, research writer, college professor, and teacher. She has lectured throughout Central Europe, Mexico, and the United States.

Stories come from the soul; the soul of the land, the souls of the people, the soul of the earth and the soul of the Great Spirits. Included in this book are stories which can scare you, make you laugh, bring joy and give the reader much to think about.

In every religion, culture and language, the spirits of the dark side are as real as the spirits of the light. The simple sorrow of everyday life can trigger a visit from an evil spirit. Just as the good spirits come to our aid in time of trouble, these evil ones come to drive us further into the darkness of our despair. These are stories of the foreboding beings and presences who exist just outside our consciousness.