Ki'ti's story, 75,000 BC : book one of winds of change, a prehistoric fiction series on the peopling of the Americas

"What author Bonnye Mathews has managed to do is to expertly craft a series of notably entertaining novels that incorporates new data into an historical fictional accounts that bring these ancient peoples alive." - Midwest Book Review Ki'ti's Story is a coming of age story of a girl predestined to lead her people. It is the tale of how three different groups of people, Neanderthals, Cro-magnons, and Homo erectus meet and become the People. The story begins as they race to avoid the ashfall from a supervolcano, which is modeled on the eruption of Mt. Toba. Come walk with Neanderthals and explore a different time and place. Meet Wamumur, the Wise One, who recaptures love and learns a little too late that he pushes too hard as a teacher, as did his father before him; Totamu, the administrative head of the People, whose officious behaviors are accepted often with irritation but with the realization that she works for the good of the People; Ki'ti, the child... 'What author Bonnye Mathews has managed to do is to expertly craft a series of notably entertaining novels that incorporates new data into an historical fictional accounts that bring these ancient peoples alive.'-Midwest Book ReviewKi'ti's Story is a coming of age story of a girl predestined to lead her people. It is the tale of how three different groups of people, Neanderthals, Cro-magnons, and Homo erectus meet and become the People. The story begins as they race to avoid the ashfall from a supervolcano, which is modeled on the eruption of Mt. Toba. Come walk with Neanderthals and explore a different time and place. Meet Wamumur, the Wise One, who recaptures love and learns a little too late that he pushes too hard as a teacher, as did his father before him; Totamu, the administrative head of the People, whose officious behaviors are accepted often with irritation but with the realization that she works for the good of the People; Ki'ti, the child whose childhood is cut short because she has been gifted with memory of the stories of the People, who is wise beyond her years in some respects and ignorant and willful in others; Nanichak-na, the individual recognized for hunter leadership who would be chief if they had one.The story is based on substantial research, much of which occurred in the last fifteen to twenty years. Ki'ti's Story, 75,000 BC provides an opportunity to explore a unique view of Neanderthal life based on recent science. For example, it is now accepted that Neanderthals had fair skin, some had red hair and blue eyes, and they could speak as well as we can. They were intellectually bright, were able to catch dolphins (something that cannot be done from shore), could kill megafauna for food with spears, and survive cold temperatures and hostile environments that would challenge our best survivalists. They also created art, buried their dead with red ocher, and/or flowers, and cared for their disabled.Ki'ti's Story, 75.000 BC is Book One in the Winds of Change, a prehistoric fiction series on the peopling of the Americas.'Bonnye Matthews is America's preeminent writer of prehistoric history.'- Grace Cavelieri of The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress. After examining questions of when people came to the Americas, who came, and from where did they come, I found the major issue in archaeology/anthropology: Clovis First or Pre-Clovis? A five year span of research still hasn't answered the questions, but there is much room for speculation. At the same time I encountered the recent DNA research on Neanderthals. I chose to use fiction as a vehicle to speculate on an early peopling of the Americas and the Winds of Change series was born. In February 2013 the Smithsonian Magazine issued an article pushing back the date of the peopling of the Americas, doubling the Clovis First date, and suggesting that peopling occurred via small boats. May 2, 2013, Ki'ti's Story, 75,000 BC, a coming of age story of the People's Wise One, was awarded First Place for Fiction by the Alaska Professional Communicators. The award explanation reads in part: "This book is worthy of first place award for many reasons beyond its ambitious scope and size. The work is highly imagined and even inspired beyond imaginings. This speaks of courage. Although primitive life is presented in real time, we don't lose our sense of historical connection." Judge was Grace Cavalieri, writer/producer: "The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress." In June 2013, Manak-na's Story, 75,000 BC will launch and with it the travel from what is now China to Mexico and return will take place. Ki'ti's Story, 75,000 BC, provides an opportunity to explore a unique view of Neanderthal life based on recent science. It's a coming of age story in the succession of the People's Wise One. More than that it is the story of a People who survived for hundreds of thousands of geologic years