A Gleam of Light

Native American mythology intersects with UFOlogy in this earthbound tale of first contact and extraterrestrial influence. In 1995, eight-year-old Una Waters and her family are on a plane that has a terrifying close encounter with an unidentified object. In 2016, Una, now a Beltway bureaucrat, returns to the Hopi reservation in Oraibi, Ariz., where she grew up, in response to the mysterious appropriation of lands for an excavation project at nearby Sacred Peaks, revered by the Hopi nation. Teaming up with newspaper reporter Jack Howser, Una discovers a top-secret government operation on the site. When two teens from the reservation sneak into the site, one dies and the other returns with his intellect abnormally amplified. Una, Jack, and friends decide to get to the bottom of the mystery. The Wolfs venture into Chariots of the Gods territory by suggesting that visitors from outer space may have influenced the mystical beliefs of Native American tribes and other ancient civilizations, but this is still a timely tale about the sanctity of tribal lands and Una’s reacquaintance with her heritage. (BookLife)