ELIZABETH HAS TIME TO READ

One of the delights of not working so hard is that I have more time to read. I haven’t got the book report format down to Jayne’s nifty version, but here goes:

HOUSE OF RAIN by Craig Childs is a fascinating, beautifully written personal and historical tour of the Anasazi civilization.

What makes this book different from all the other books I’ve read about the Anasazi?

First and foremost is the fact that the author walked the land he described. He didn’t just fly into remote archaeological sites, watch people dig with toothbrushes and dental picks, and then speak as though he had done the work himself.

Craig Childs hiked the Anasazi roads and wilderness with only a small backpack, experienced the changing seasons by camping out in all of the Southwest’s wild weather swings, knew hunger and thirst and the sweet scent of water in a dry land. He talked with academics, native Americans, and some rather amazing people whose paths he crossed in the empty land.

The result is HOUSE OF RAIN, a must-read for anyone who is interested in the people who came before us, in the dry yet nourishing land, and the unclouded vistas of the Anasazi civilization.

This is a passionate, intelligent, and oddly compelling read, even if you're so unfamiliar with the subject that you have to look up the word ANASAZI in the dictionary!