THE CAVE DREAMERS

by Jeanne Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1983

Williams covers giant distances over recorded time in decorous little hops here, linking each period tale about stout-hearted women to an ancient Basque town and the secret Cave (which holds a mother-daughter legacy rooted in the old Goddess religion). Long before the Romans invade, the woman Ezda paints totemic scenes on dark cave walls, instructing her daughter in the words to be passed down through generations: ""In our cave it is always summer."" Ezda's descendant Kathi will fall in love with a Roman captive--but sacrifices him in order to end ritual murder forever. Next: jump to the 11th century--as Lael of Cordova is forced to flee to her grandmother after her family and fiancÉ are killed; she sees the legendary cave, displays the traditional female virtues (healing, animal-loving), and rides to her death on her great white horse to escape marriage. Then, in the 16th century, Marya is about to perish in the Inquisition when she escapes on a ship west: she searches for lost fiancÉ Martin in Mexico, joins a group of Spanish colonists, observes the exploitation of the Indians, narrowly escapes death, but returns home after learning of Martin's death--with Basque pirate Ruy and Martin's half-indian daughter. The longest yarn is about Dominika, who leaves her Basque town circa 1900 to become a housekeeper for rancher Brant and his ill wife in Idaho. Pregnant by Brant, she moves West and will have three husbands before, at age 92, meeting artist/ecologist Eden Lowrie, who falls in love with Dominika's cold grandson Trace. (Two other grandsons are plotting to grab Grandmother's land--for a recreation complex or missile base.) And Eden inherits Dominika's Basque legacy, reaching the Cave just in time to be rescued (by matriarchal ghosts?) from murder. In spite of occasional grue, it's all sedate and ladylike--and only for those favoring the fragmentary-pageant approach to dynastic pop-fiction.

Pub Date: June 1, 1983

ISBN: 0595095798

Page Count: -

Publisher: Avon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1983

Categories: FICTION