Nahia

Neolithic colonists threaten Mesolithic foragers’ way of life in archaeologist Jones’s enthralling, fantasy-tinged debut, set in prehistoric Northern Spain. Food is scarce at the Sea People’s winter camp, so when a passing traveler tells stories of invading strangers abducting women, slaughtering men, and building settlements, teenager Nahia takes it as a sign and urges her mother, headwoman Abene, to move their band inland. Abene refuses to abandon her ancestors’ territory, however, and reacts to Nahia’s insolence by replacing Nahia as first daughter with her twin, Izara, and apprenticing Nahia to visiting shaman Eneko. Feeling ostracized and fearing Abene’s pride could prove fatal, Nahia accompanies Eneko when he returns to his mountain valley home. There, she finds love, magic, and purpose. But when visions suggest Abene and Izara are in peril, Nahia must decide whether to sacrifice her future to save the family that rejected her. Jones’s tale unfolds from Nahia’s perspective in candid, vulnerable first-person narration. Obstacles are easily overcome, but thoughtful examinations of gender roles and clashing cultural philosophies add complexity and infuse history with heart. The concluding author’s note illuminates and informs. Most characters have brown skin. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)