Nahia

A story of finding oneself among traditions and change, listening to nature, and survival in a reimagining of pre-historic times. Through Nahia, the daughter of a tribe leader who fears rumors of dangerous settlers arriving, we experience the daily life of hunter-gatherer societies, the constant struggle to coexist with and survive on nature, and the different attitudes of resistance or assimilation they experienced when faced with the arrival of aggressive, agrarian peoples.

In other words, a teen mouths off, goes on a spiritual journey, and kindly says I-told-you-so to those people who disliked said mouthing off.

Given the author's academic background, it was interesting to see her imagining of how it may have been to grow up in such a time. It doesn't read like a dry, education book at all, but the ending materials summarizing research inspirations and facts about plants and things demonstrates just how many details are woven into the story. To quote, it's "probably best to think of Nahia's world as fictional", but it's a great starting point for imagination and sparking curiosity in that vast period of history. Some things that really stuck out to me were the emphasis on oral traditions (there are several recitations of history, and daily chants) and the shamanic rituals, which could be interpreted as a combination of naturalism, belief born from interpreting science as mystical, or something else entirely.

Nahia's journey is one of discovery, negotiation, and survival. Expect mysteries and challenges of skill, but no battles. Nahia and her sister talk about sex as a concept, but descriptions stop at kisses.