The New Day Dawns: People of the Frozen Earth, Book 1

Grace Anne Schaefer
GASLight Publishing (2004)
ISBN 0975479601
Reviewed by Mary Simmons for Reader Views (7/06)

One of the reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction is because it transports me back to a time and place I can never physically travel to and gives me a reflection of what that period might have been like to live in – what the people were like, what their customs and traditions were, how they explained their place in the world and how they strove to succeed with what they were given. What it comes down to is their humanity and the similarities between their world and mine, while exploring the differences. In “The New Day Dawns”, Grace Anne Schaefer introduces readers to the “People of the Frozen Earth”, who traveled 2,000 years ago from Siberia to the area now known as Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas, where “they lived, loved, hated, laughed, cried, and died in the fullness of Mother Life’s time.” At its core, “The New Day Dawns” is a love story. Mach and Horda are young and in love, desperate to be together while fighting to survive against a backdrop of circumstances, tradition, the elements and the cruelty of others. Their lives are not easy, but through it all they never doubt their love for each other. Schaefer explains many customs, traditions, rituals and beliefs of the “People of the Frozen Earth” by contrasting them to those of the “People of the Tall Grass”. The latter appear primitive and backward while the former seem to be more enlightened and progressive. They generally treat their women, children and elders with respect and believe that life is a gift that shouldn’t be wasted before it is inevitably taken away.

“The New Day Dawns” is a fascinating read that will not only enrich your life, but also the lives of others since 10 per cent of Internet sales of this book will be donated to Dakota Sioux Indians on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. It is the first book in a series. Look for the second installment, “As Shadows Fall”, which will soon be available.

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