A Story of Initiation and Eloquence from the Shores of a Mayan Lake.
Martin Prechtel's second book is a powerful and vivid account of his life with the Mayan community in Guatemala that follows on from his acclaimed first book 'Secrets Of The Talking Jaguar'.
Martin Prechtel was raised in a pueblo reservation in New Mexico before moving to Guatemala to live with the Tzutijil people of Santiago Atitlan. He was first apprenticed as a Mayan shaman and rose to become the First Chief of the village. His powerful and moving story captures the magic and mystery of a wise and magnificent people.
Their eloquent poetry resonates throughout the book with a rhythm that reinforces the vitality of this vanishing culture. It tells of the importance of initiation in the flowering and maturation of a generation as they become the 'ripe fruit' of the village.
This book is both a page-turning personal memoir and a brilliant portrait of the importance of community identity.
