🏆#1 in Goodreads Listopia “Books to Read Before Visiting Yosemite” – Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya. A novel set in Yosemite National Park.
Great Spirit of Yosemite
Ahwahneechees lived for generations in their secluded valley of Ahwahnee, living in tranquility with their homeland. There they were cared for and nurtured by the Great Spirit of Yosemite.
But all this is about to change……………….
Building on true events, this illustrated historical novel spins an unforgettable tale of family love, spirituality, and ultimately, loss. The book is a blend of historical facts and fictional storytelling. Indeed, the novel re-lives the extraordinary struggle of the original, indigenous people living in Yosemite Valley, (which they called Ahwahnee). Under the leadership of their wily Chief Tenaya, they courageously try to hang on to their heritage and culture. But the cataclysm of war disastrously engulfs their homelands during the California Gold Rush.
Historical Fiction
This historical fiction depicts the life of the Ahwahneechees, initially taking the reader back to the 18th century from the time when Tenaya’s father was Chief. The story evocatively unfolds by describing the lives of the people and their way of life in the magnificent surroundings of Yosemite National Park. But disaster strikes and their Chief Lagundo must guide his people from the valley because of the “black sickness”, which decimates their population.
They travel to Mono Lake where they settle with their Paiute relatives. There, the Chief marries a local Paiute. In the heart of the Sierra Nevada their son, Tenaya is born. He is lovingly raised to adulthood in the Mono community but always with the knowledge and heritage of Ahwahnee in his mind and his spirit. He is taught the beauty, history, and tales of the valley from an early age by his father and the shaman.
The Gold Rush
After the death of his father, Tenaya succeeds him as Chief. Following advice from the shaman, he guides his family, and all who wish to travel with him, to Ahwahnee. There the people re-settle and raise their own families, living in complete peace and harmony with their surroundings and with the Great Spirit. That is, until the California Gold Rush and the outbreak of the Mariposa Indian War in 1851.
Will he be able to protect his family and people, and preserve their way of life as their homelands are invaded by soldiers of the Mariposa Battalion?
This book brings out the best and worst passions of human nature in an enthralling tale that interweaves true historical events with imagined and gripping storytelling. It explores the unequal relationship between two contrasting cultures. It delivers the spirit of Yosemite and its people.
Book Review and Links for Great Spirit of Yosemite
A ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviewed book set in Yosemite National Park, Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya is available from $2.99 in eBook/Kindle and paperback formats from all major online booksellers.
“NATIONAL PARK OBSESSED” has also included this Yosemite Book in their “25 Books to Read Before Visiting Yosemite National Park“. Also, check out Mappit’s “Books set in Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park, CA, US“