Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert: My Life Among the Navajo People
Erica M Elliott
Paperback
(Balboa Press, Feb. 18, 2019)
After her first week teaching at a boarding school on the Navajo Reservation near Canyon de Chelly, young Erica Elliott almost leaves in despair, unable to communicate with the children or understand cultural cues. But once she starts learning the Navajo language, the people begin to trust her, taking her into their homes and ceremonies. As she is drawn deeper into Navajo life, Erica has a series of profound experiences with the people, animals, and spirits of Canyon de Chelly. Fulfilling a Navajo grandmotherâs prophecy, she returns years later as a medical doctor to offer her services to Navajo patients. Endorsements âDr. Erica Elliottâs account of her life among the Navajo people is a story of high adventure that surpasses the wildest fiction. Elliottâs willingness to transcend her cultural conditioning and enter another complex society is an act of great courage, and reveals her boundless empathy and compassion. This book is sorely needed at this moment in America, when divisive voices incessantly warn us of the other, the foreigner, those who âare not like us.â Mystery and Medicine in the High Desert: My Life Among the Navajo People reveals how diversity, inclusiveness, and tolerance can enrich our own society, which is a lesson on which our future may dependâ -Larry Dossey, MD, author of One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters. âWhat a wonderful book! Elliottâs voice mesmerized me. For weeks after, I thought about her time with the Navajos. Such an inspiring, life-affirming, yet tough tale, woven through with a strong drive to realize oneâs life path. Beautifully written. Elliott is an exciting new voiceâ -Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones and Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home. âErica Elliott writes fearlessly with an original voice that grabbed me from the first page. Her true adventures on the Navajo Nation as a teacher, a shepherd, an emergency room doctor, and best of all, an open-hearted student immersed in a spiritually rich culture, make a great story. She leaves the reader with something to ponder: The abiding importance of reaching out to others with joy and respect. I love this bookâ -Anne Hillerman, NY Times bestselling author of the Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito mystery series. âThis is a powerful and personal book that is about courage and compassion. Reading it, one is drawn into the web of Dr. Elliottâs extraordinary life of service and learning with the Navajo of the American Southwest. We are fortunate to be able to accompany her on her remarkable journeyâ -Rev. Joan Jiko Halifax, Abbot, Upaya Zen Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, www.upaya.org.