First published 1976
Zan Ford wakes up in a world that shouldn't exist. The teenage girl has somehow been pulled back thousands of years into the distant past. A tribe of peaceful cave dwellers discovers her and welcomes her into their community. These gentle people offer her shelter and acceptance, but Zan struggles to adapt to their primitive way of life. She clings desperately to the small objects she carried with her from the modern world. These precious items represent everything she has lost: her family, her friends, her entire civilization. The cave people cannot understand why she treasures these strange artifacts or why she seems so unhappy in their midst. Zan faces an impossible choice between holding onto her past and embracing her new reality. She must decide whether to keep fighting against her circumstances or learn to find meaning in this ancient world that has become her home.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, coming-of-age, fantasy, young-adult, alternate-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Africa
Period: Prehistoric
256 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Laurel Leaf