cover image Dream Keeper: A Novel of Myth and Destiny in the Pacific Northwest

Dream Keeper: A Novel of Myth and Destiny in the Pacific Northwest

Morrie Ruvinsky. Sasquatch Books, $23.95 (272pp) ISBN 978-1-57061-167-4

When a fishing boat pulls a naked, wounded man from the cold Pacific waters, the crew is shocked to find him still alive; even more perplexing, the large shark bite in his abdomen mysteriously heals itself. So begins this fluid, engaging first novel, which weaves together Native American folklore and mythology, pioneer history and contemporary times. The victim turns out to be Jason Ondine, a white man who was adopted as an orphan an incredible 200 years before by a band of Kwakiutl Indians. On a whale hunt with the Kwakiutl, the entire hunting party dies, except for Jason, who is rescued by one of the Three Sisters of Creation and thus achieves a kind of immortality. Fearful of the boy's power, the Sisters put a double curse on him: he must live as a sea lion, and only his own son can kill him. In 1979, flute music draws Jason ashore and turns him into a man again. He falls in love with the beautiful young flautist, Lizzie, but her rich parents break up the romance, eventually committing her to a posh psychiatric institution, where she gives birth to a boy. Jason returns to the sea for 25 years before washing up in the fishermen's nets. The lovers reunite and search for their son; the circular epic wraps up with dramatic flair and spiritual vision. This mystic, satisfying work, written with grace and authority, is rich in down-to-earth prose that moves easily and convincingly between mythic lore and contemporary dialogue. 3-city author tour. (Mar.)