Land of Echoes

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In the end, it is people, not places, that are haunted. Tommy Keeday is a gifted student at a boarding school for Navajo teens in western New Mexico. When he suddenly falls ill with bizarre symptoms, his family believes he is possessed by a chindi, the spirit of a dead ancestor. However, Julieta McCarty, the school's principal, rejects both traditional Navajo beliefs and conventional medical explanations. In a bid for answers, she reaches out to Cree Black, a Seattle-based parapsychologist. Cree's background in clinical psychology and paranormal investigation offers no preparation for the daunting task of helping Tommy, who appears to be caught in a struggle between two spirits. Is he merely a troubled teenager, suffering from a rare brain disorder, or is there truth in the Navajo legends of witches and malevolent ghosts? As Cree and her team delve deeper, they uncover secrets from Tommy's past and those around him, revealing unresolved longings and regrets that shape his fate. This novel combines in-depth research with personal experience, presenting a thrilling supernatural mystery, a passionate love story, and a thoughtful exploration of modern Navajo culture and identity.