Author Description

INDIGENOUS is a work of fiction. Two women separated by a century, one in search of her future, the other of her family's past. Inspired by the unlikely convergence of identities in the turbulent American Southwest of the 1800s and loosely based on the true story of a young Acoma Native American woman and a Prussian Jewish man, INDIGENOUS is a powerful dual narrative of their struggle to find understanding, meaning, and connection. Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico Territory, 1877 A Native American girl and a young man of Prussian Jewish background meet in the heart of New Mexico Territory before it becomes a state, before railroads and electricity arrive. They form an unlikely friendship that shapes their futures. Berkeley, California, 2020 When an earthquake hits San Francisco in early 2020, a former PhD student at Berkeley heads to New Mexico to investigate a family mystery. Will what she discovers answer her questions? Will it change how she sees herself? INDIGENOUS weaves contemporary and historical threads that explore identity, connection to history and land, and the complex relationships of people struggling to find common ground and understanding. The book draws parallels between historical and contemporary struggles and encourages discourse.