The Sparrow

by Kristy McCaffrey

  They spoke of where she came, who she was in the beginning, and the story of her youth was held as testament to the hardships the vast Universe will put forth before one is allowed to achieve renown. She survived a deadly massacre against her family and lived cut off from the land, compelled to find her way back to the Source. Her sister Molly conquered death and lived among the imposing Comanche, returning as if a ghost to her own people many years later, giving credence to the trials her family was forced to endure.

  As for Emma, she knew little of the legacy she left behind in the Arizona Territory in the year 1877. With the unwavering support of her husband, she raised her sons while daily conversing with the world beside this world. She honed her gifts of sight and knowing, and gained knowledge of the healing arts through Sparrow and other spirit masters. She helped those who asked, and prayed for those who didn’t. And at the end of her life she passed with joy and peace to the other side, reuniting with Nathan, he of her visions and heart. Soon, they'll begin again.

  Author’s Note

  The first women to successfully ride the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon didn’t do so until 1938. Lois Jotter and Elzada Clover, with backgrounds in botany, were discouraged by many from attempting such an arduous trek. Their trip was also overshadowed with the disappearance of Bessie Hyde, who in 1929 attempted to navigate the river with her husband. Mysteriously, they disappeared just short of their goal, never to be seen again. But Jotter and Clover prevailed, collecting plant samples along the water’s edge as was their intention, and in so doing proved many wrong that the “river is no place for a woman.” –Buzz Holstrom.

  I admit it’s a bold idea to place Emma Hart on the Colorado River in 1877, only six years after John Wesley Powell’s second expedition began. But she shared many characteristics with those early explorers—a love of adventure, a desire to do what other’s thought impossible, and a complete ignorance about what she was about to face. Emma and Nathan weren’t any different from those brave (or crazy, as some would say) achievers firmly etched in history.

  For those diehards of the Grand Canyon, I’d like to beg your indulgence on a few points. In the story I assumed a low to medium flow of the Colorado River (5000 cfs or less), at least until the flooding near the end of the story, thus allowing Diamond and the Baxter brothers the ability to traverse the river by foot at Bright Angel Canyon. This enabled Diamond’s first encounter with Emma. Today, there’s a footbridge which provides easy access for hikers travelling from the south rim to Phantom Ranch (on the north side). But at low river flow more debris would be exposed at many of the rapids, most notably at Hance Rapid, the whitewater Emma navigated alone while Nathan watched from the shoreline. The more realistic option for this scene would have been for them to line and/or portage this stretch of water, but I must confess not nearly so interesting to write about. Hence, her daring solo feat in a rapid sometimes described as a pinball run. I also took creative leeway at the confluence of the Colorado River and Havasu Creek, where Nathan and Emma leave their boat to travel into Havasu Canyon. Because there are sheer walls at this location, it’s an unlikely place to secure a boat let alone hope it would remain for several days. This location, however, represented a turning point in the story, so the dory needed to stay. Today, boat anchors are embedded in the rock for those wishing to stop. And finally, for those familiar with the wooden dories used during Powell’s expeditions, one feature missing from Emma’s boat Paradise was a stern rowlock in which a scull oar was placed to aid in directional control. My reason for this was simple—Emma didn’t have a thorough knowledge of all things nautical.

  While I made every effort to study and accurately portray major rapids and milestones along the course of the waterway (the granaries at Nankoweap, Redwall Cavern, Anasazi ruins, Vulcan’s Anvil, etc.), it was just as important to capture the spiritual landscape. The story isn’t so much a travelogue as a survey of a deeper, more complex layer of the Canyon as seen through Emma and Nathan’s experiences. The terrain, as I interpreted it, provided a template for the interior pilgrimage undertaken by Emma. This journey into the bowels of the earth—much like a voyage into the hidden resources of the Self—represents a catalyst for growth. Only at the edge of change and chaos does evolution occur. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

  Acknowledgments

  It’s impossible to thank every source, since the course of a book is a malleable and every-changing interplay of imagination and research, but there are several I would like to highlight.

  For an understanding of the landscape of the Grand Canyon and the rapids in the late 1800’s, an excellent resource is Grand Canyon, a Century of Change: Rephotography of the 1889-1890 Stanton Expedition by Robert H. Webb. For the stories and traditions of the Hopi Indians, I referenced The Fourth World of the Hopis by Harold Courlander, a very thorough explanation of Hopi oral literature. For the Havasupai Indians, I recommend I Am The Grand Canyon: The Story of the Havasupai People by Stephen Hirst and Havasupai Legends: Religion and Mythology of the Havasupai Indians of the Grand Canyon by Carma Lee Smithson and Robert C. Fuller.

  The controversial idea of cannibalism during the attack on Awatovi (late 1600’s) was proposed by anthropologist Christy Turner, and his complete analysis can be found in Man Corn: Cannibalism and Violence in the Prehistoric American Southwest by Christy G. Turner II and Jacqueline A. Turner. It should be noted that there are many critics against Turner’s work, as well as objections by the Hopi that their people would massacre, mutilate, and eat women and children of their own tribe. However, Turner presents detailed and compelling evidence to support his theory. His further research into the collapse of the Anasazi Indians (ancestors of the Hopi) in 1150 A.D. also reveals a possible cannibalistic trigger. In 1992, an excavation of a kiva at the base of Sleeping Ute Mountain in Colorado revealed a central hearth composed of desiccated human feces. Later analysis proved that the sample contained digested human meat. Along with evidence of chopped-up, boiled, and burned human bones at the site, it’s clear that a violent act had occurred, and with so many bodies was likely not due to starvation cannibalism. Coinciding with the vast collapse of the Anasazi culture in the Four Corners region of the United States, Turner hypothesizes that the Anasazi abandoned the central hub of their civilization—Chaco Canyon in New Mexico—due to infiltration, and subsequent terroristic control tactics (most notably cannibalism), by Mesoamerican culture. There is a strong correlation between the Mesoamerican deity Xipe Totec, a god of life-death-rebirth in Aztec mythology, and the Hopi deity Masau’u. Both were associated with, among other aspects, human sacrifice.

  While there are many fine books written about shamanism, my favorite was Dreamgates: Exploring the Worlds of Soul, Imagination, and Life Beyond Death by Robert Moss. Emma’s evolution was a fairly compressed journey that can often take years for an individual to master. On the other hand, while in the imaginal realms, large quantities of teaching can take place in what would be considered instantaneous in our time frame.

  Finally, I would like to thank my sister, Michelle Kearney, a seasonal Park Ranger at the Grand Canyon, for her insights and opinions on questions posed throughout the writing of this book. Mostly, she told me to come to the canyon and experience it for myself. In the words of the late Joseph Campbell, author and teacher of comparative mythology, “Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.” The Grand Canyon is just such a place, filled with the dark and the light.

  About The Author

  As a child, Kristy McCaffrey frequently narrated to herself. It soon became apparent that she had an affinity for this writing thing. Raised on a steady diet of sci-fi/fantasy and tales of King Arthur, she transferred this love of mythic storytelling to penning western romances once she decided, at long last, to pay attention to her natural inclinations. Educated as an engineer, she swiftly gave that up to be a stay-at-home mom and aspiring author. She and her husband live in the Arizona desert, where their four children are in v
arying stages of flying the nest. A great love of travel frequently ends up on her blog, along with attempts at humor. This is often at the expense of her kids, which has led them to proclaim, "We will no longer read your blog, Mom." They also refuse to follow her on Twitter. Kristy believes life should be lived with curiosity, compassion, and gratitude, and one should never be far from the enthusiasm of a dog. She also likes sleeping-in, eating Mexican food, and doing yoga at home in her pajamas.

  Sign up for Kristy’s newsletter to receive updates on new releases, visit her website to learn more about her work, and read her blog. She’s also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

  If you’d love to connect with readers and authors in the western historical romance genre, please consider joining the Pioneer Hearts Facebook Group. Lively discussions, author interactions, and members-only giveaways are guaranteed.

  Don’t miss THE WREN

  Wings of the West: Book One

  The Wren

  Ten years have passed since her ranch was attacked, her folks murdered and Molly Hart was abducted. Now, at nineteen, she’s finally returning home to north Texas after spending the remainder of her childhood with a tribe of Kwahadi Comanche. What she finds is a deserted home coated with dust and the passage of time, the chilling discovery of her own gravesite, and the presence of a man she thought never to see again.

  Matt Ryan is pushed by a restless wind to the broken-down remains of the Hart ranch. Recently recovered from an imprisonment that nearly ended his life, the drive for truth and fairness has all but abandoned him. For ten years he faithfully served the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers, seeking justice for the brutal murder of a little girl, only to find closure and healing beyond his grasp. Returning to the place where it all began, he’s surprised to stumble across a woman with the same blue eyes as the child he can’t put out of his mind.

  The Dove

  Wings of the West: Book Two

  The Dove

  Disappointment hits ex-deputy Logan Ryan hard when he finds Claire Waters in the midst of a bustling Santa Fe Trail town. The woman he remembers is gone—in her place is a working girl with enticing curves and a load of trouble. As a web of deceit entangles them with men both desperate and dangerous, Logan tries to protect Claire, unaware his own past poses the greatest threat.

  Plagued by shame all her life, Claire is stunned when Logan catches her on the doorstep of The White Dove Saloon dressed as a prostitute. She lets him believe the worst, but with her mama missing and the fancy girls deserting the place, she's hard-pressed to refuse his offer of help. As she embarks on a journey that will unravel the fabric of her life, one thing becomes clear—opening her heart may be the most dangerous proposition of all.

  The Blackbird

  Wings of the West: Book Four

  The Blackbird

  Bounty hunter Cale Walker arrives in Tucson to search for J. Howard “Hank” Carlisle at the request of his daughter, Tess. Hank mentored Cale before a falling out divided them, and a mountain lion attack left Cale nearly dead. Rescued by a band of Nednai Apache, his wounds were considered a powerful omen and he was taught the ways of a di-yin, or a medicine man. To locate Hank, Cale must enter the Dragoon Mountains, straddling two worlds that no longer fit. But he has an even bigger problem—finding a way into the heart of a young woman determined to live life as a bystander.

  For two years, Tess Carlisle has tried to heal the mental and physical wounds of a deadly assault by one of her papá’s men. Continuing the traditions of her Mexican heritage, she has honed her skills as a cuentista, a storyteller and a Keeper of the Old Ways. But with no contact from her father since the attack, she fears the worst. Tess knows that to reenter Hank Carlisle’s world is a dangerous endeavor, and her only hope is Cale Walker, a man unlike any she has ever known. Determined to make a journey that could lead straight into the path of her attacker, she hardens her resolve along with her heart. But Cale makes her yearn for something she vowed she never would—love.

  Stand-Alone Novel

  Into The Land Of Shadows

  Kate Kinsella has no choice but to go after Charley Barstow and talk some sense into him. After all, he's skipped town, leaving a string of broken hearts and his pregnant fiancée, Agnes McPherson. But Kate didn't count on being kidnapped by a band of criminals along the way.

  Ethan Barstow is hot on his younger brother's trail, too. He rescues Kate, believing her to be Charley's fiancée, and suggests they try to find him together. Kate's reluctance has him baffled.

  All hell breaks loose when they discover Charley in search of a copper mine—not wishing to be found by anyone; certainly not Kate! But, then, Kate was always trouble—and now she's brought it to his doorstep, with tales of a pregnant fiancée and his brother Ethan, who he hasn't seen in five years.

  Can Ethan and Kate ever find their own love and happiness with one another through the dark deception and hurt? Or will they both return INTO THE LAND OF SHADOWS...