Driftwood to an Inland Sea: A Mormon Pioneer Novel,Used

Product Description Driftwood to an Inland Sea is a fastpaced, quirky historical comedy of youth in a precarious situation. Like a hunk of Utah, this novel weaves romance, riverboats, murder, polygamy, and wilderness into a story for all ages. Teen humor, through times loyal and tragic, lifts off in a resolute effort toward solid Utah ground.Jed Cox is the son of a man killed in the Missouri Massacre. It is 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois, and Jed's passion for life launches him into the prevailing winds, which soon accelerate into migrating storms. A riverbelle from the South tangles his attention, while two unlikely parents lay a cornerstone for his journey into the unknown. Even at 17, Jed Cox is a fulcrum on which many people rely. His two little sisters are his pride and his peeve. Rachel, 10, is the antithesis of Ann, 13; each is an archetype of women. Their mother, Eliza Cox, is a little lady with a big role, a typical colonial Mormon. Driftwood's story runs deep, and the lifeblood of the land symbolizes the carriage of souls from this earthly plane into eternity. Readers of all faiths and cultures can relate to this story, using their own customs and standards to bring it home. Driftwood is a symbol for the sojourn of each person and each culture to find its own way. About the Author Cynthia Otto is a science teacher of teens. High school and junior high students make up many of Driftwoods characters, complete with teen humor, rebellion and sincerity. Her love of the wilderness and her scientific mind provide a curious view of cause and effect. Mountainclimbing in her twenties gives her portrayal of the Rocky Mountains a candid scope of beauty and danger.A year of teaching in Pakistan was the force that thrust Ottos writing into print. There is nothing like losing everything to build your respect for what matters. With another novel completed and two in the works, there is a vision behind her stories. Science is a metaphor, the author claims in the classroom and in her books. Scope out a system of physical reality, and youll find it works in psychological and spiritual paradigms. Science leads to evidence of things not seen. Nearly three thousand teens have superimposed Ottos science over their circumstances. Otto credits the humor in her books to them. Kids are funny, and their energy is tangible. They can bring anything to life. Otto lives in Brigham City, Utah, in the morning shadow of Wasatch Front. Her children are grown, but her two Labrador Retreivers keep her in the willds. When she is not teaching, Otto runs her dogs and writes novels. Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Jed was lying across both logs, submerging hers, and both his hands were reaching for her. Her grip was slimy from fetid water, but she got her knee onto the slippery log.About to lunge forward, Laurel felt a tug at her toe. Let go! Let go! Let GO! She was flailing her legs, writhing her cries right into his face. So he let go.