The Woman Who Lives in the Earth
by Swain Wolfe
List Price: $14.00
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0060927925
Publisher: HarperCollins
"Does the woman who lives in the earth know the weaver who lives in my soul?"
"Yes, I think she does," said her mother. The young girl watched the silver creek slide through the soft dark green of the cottonwoods. "And what," she asked, "does the weaver weave in the middle of the middle of my soul?" Her mother looked into her eyes and said, "She weaves a story that is hidden beneath all your thoughts and dreams."
-The Woman Who Lives in the Earth
Once in a while, someone who has never before even thought of writing a
book, creates a powerfully original and memorable story that speaks to the
profound concerns of the time. Such is the case with Swain Wolfe, formerly
a ranch hand, logger, and underground miner, and an accomplished filmmaker
from Montana. He decided to change an early draft of a film script into
a novel because friends responded so well to the story.
The themes that intertwine to make The Woman Who Lives in the Earth
the rich tapestry it is, had been incubating in Wolfe's mind for sometime.
In fact, the climax of the novel derives from a childhood dream. The story
is of a young girl who overcomes fear and hatred by discovering extraordinary
ways of seeing and understanding the natural world.
A fable for our time, when trust, peace, and connection are elusive, The
Woman Who Lives in the Earth is a classic story of transformation,
of relying on our inner strength to overcome what is destructive and hateful
in the world.
With the help of a friend, whose experience owning a bookstore in Missoula made her familiar with the inner workings of bookselling, Swain Wolfe published the novel himself. Starting with an initial printing of 2200 copies, he sold his book to bookstores by hand throughout the West. He worked closely with booksellers, scheduled readings, worked with school systems, and his book began to sell. He prepared his own press material, did his own review mailings, and found himself having to go back three times for additional printings.
Booksellers throughout the West made sure the novel reached the attention
of several major publishing houses. On a business trip to Boulder, the publisher
of HarperCollins asked a bookseller if any self-published books had taken
on a life of its own. She was carrying an armload of The Woman Who
Lives in the Earth, which she was having difficulty keeping in stock.
On his return to New York, the Publisher gave the book to the Editor-in-Chief. Since she was intrigued by the title and the glowing reviews, she read the novel herself that night, rather than assigning the book to another editor. She was so struck by the novel's originality and language that she read it to her two sons as well. She reached Swain Wolfe the next day. A two book contract and a commitment for a national launch soon followed.
And now The Woman Who Lives in the Earth, is on its way to
becoming a modern classic. Swain Wolfe invites us to see the world and ourselves
in a different way, to become re-enchanted by wonder and beauty, and most
important to be assured that transformation is within our grasp.
The Woman Who Lives in the Earth is a timeless story of a
young girl who uses the hidden forms and patterns of the natural world to
transform herself as well as her enemies.
This tale about overcoming fear and hatred takes place in a time before
modern machines or long after their fall. In a harsh, primitive world, an
almond-eyed girl named Sarah and her family are threatened by a severe
drought. Sarah's imagination and her fascination with the mysteries of
nature lead the local villagers to believe she is an evil demon and the cause
of the drought.
Sarah is pursued by the Lizard Woman, the embodiment of the villagers'
fear and superstition. With her allies, Kreel, Greyling Eyes, and Henkel -- a
treacherous triumvirate of authority, terror, and record keeping -- the Lizard
Woman incites the villagers to burn the demon child.
In her attempt to save herself and her family, Sarah is aided by her
great-grandmother Lilly and by a fox like creature whose voice comes to her
like soft black sand sliding through her thoughts. She discovers her own
power and redemption in a secret, transitional world defined by the memory
of what has been and the hope of what will be.
The Woman Who Lives in the Earth is a mesmerizing story elevated
to the status of modern classic not only because of the novel's universal
themes, but also because of it's deceptively simple language, vivid imagery
and transcendent quality.
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1. A young girl is the hero of this story. Why is Sarah capable of transformation?
2.What is the significance of the title The Woman Who Lives in the Earth?
3. How does the emotional and natural landscape of the novel reflect our times? Why has this canvas been considered universal?
4.What is it about the language of the novel that creates the menacing atmosphere?
5.How does the sensual imagery of the story ground us in a reality that allows us to accept the magic realism of the story?
6.Some involved in the ecology movement embraced The Woman Who Lives in the Earth as an environmental parable. What does the novel suggest about the power of nature?
7. The story has been described as a fable and a parable. How does such a form of storytelling serve to express the real story, which is true and useful?
8. What does the fox, Marishan Borisan represent? How does he act as an agent of change?
9. The story is unflinching in its portrayal of the aggression that accompanies fear. Do you see such a pairing on societal and individual levels today?
10.What does the novel suggest about the effect of an individual on culture?
11. How does the treacherous triumvirate of authority, terror and record-keeping embody the ills of society?
12. Sarah and her great-grandmother Lilly have a very special relationship. How do youth and age, or innocence and experience, resemble each other?
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