There is much to praise in this novel and yet I found myself coming out of the story so many times it was distracting. When I read I generally find myself floating along in the story, almost like watching a movie in my head. When I encounter a book that doesn’t flow or brings me in and out of that state I get frustrated.

Peter is a young man who would rather be surfing but he has a job at his Tribe’s casino – that he hates, but it’s a job. He is late – again – and his behaviour causes him to lose his job. He’s not exactly sad at this outcome and he takes the opportunity to head to his college and hopefully work on finishing his thesis. There he finds out he will work on a cultural study in an area where an energy company wants to put in a large plant for oil/gas processing. It’s one of Peter’s favorite surf spots and he is devastated at the possibility that the area will be destroyed.

While on the study Peter has an accident – or is it? – and he travels back in time to the era of his Ancestors where he interacts with them including showing them how to build surfboards and how to surf.

If you can’t already tell, surfing plays a big role in this novel. If you don’t like/don’t understand/don’t care about surfing, much will be lost on you as it was on me.

Along the way Peter meets a young woman scientist who is also working to stop the construction and they form a strong bond.

At times the book was very interesting and Mr. Prosor has a magical way with words when he is describing anything to do with nature. He is not so magical when it comes to dialog. It’s also not a book that is going to appeal to people who don’t believe that climate change is real because it plays a major role in the book.

There is a good book in here somewhere, I just think it needed a little more refining. ( )

This book touches on a myriad of issues including the environment, sprawling suburban growth, intractable greedy corporations and their impact on the few remaining pristine places.

The story is told by Peter Martinez, a partial Native American trying to define his devotion to his tribe through his study of archeology that is whenever the surf isn’t up. He is a bit of a screw-up with a strange sense of humor which can’t help but provoke authoritarians. His Mother disapproves of his inability to stick, to become a responsible member of his tribe. He grandfather, who has chosen to live the latter part of his life away from others and lightly on the land, is Peter’s hero.

The nemesis is ENRG which has a Petrochemical expansion project to cover Rocky Point, one of the last undisturbed areas along the coast of California. It is home to several endangered species as well as the final resting place of Peter’s ancestors, the Noqoto Tribe. With only thirty days before the final hearing Peter’s advisor tasks him with surveying Rocky Point in the hopes of finding “something historically significant” to block ENRG’s proposed project.

Now things get interesting, as Peter is exploring Rocky Point he has an accident and takes a journey back to the distant past, the late 1700s, Rocky Point, California. Has he time travelled? Dream walked? This part of the story is a history lesson that the author recounts with remarkable descriptions and characterizations. I was captivated by this part of the book.

The return to the present and reality was more practical and predictable. My only complaint was the overkill, the hammering of the theme.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookbaby for a copy. ( )