Valley of the Raven

by Ken Ramirez

Valley of the Raven is a delightful book, full of history, mystery, and interesting characters that teens will enjoy. A skillful weaving of fiction with some history, Ken Ramirez provides a glimpse of the Buffalo Soldiers, the Lakota Indians, and the beautiful Nevada County, California area.

Ken's characters are teens who love to head out on their dirt bikes, and explore the woods near their homes. They particularly like to search for Gold Rush relics; little snippets of history buried and lost. But in this adventure, they find a great deal more than they are looking for! Ty Dettin's attention is caught by the mystical raven, whose raucous calls summon him further and further in his explorations.

Meeting up with a Lakota Indian woman, he discovers more about the area, its history and its meaning. A cryptic map, found in an old abandoned cabin provides all the spur Ty and his friends need to attempt to find a lost hoard of gold. Unfortunately, they also pick up some antagonists along the way that are searching for that same gold! Four men, strangers to the area, soon take up residence in the cabin, and weird sounds and trails begin to appear in the beautiful area. It becomes the self-appointed job of Ty and his gang to discover what the men are up to, and stop them if they can.

The mystique of the Indian cultures also becomes a part of Ty's search, as the Lakota woman has gifted him with a dream-catcher. Feathers and beads, with web woven in the middle of a hoop, Ty is skeptical, but curious enough to hang it in his bedroom window. His conversation with the woman teaches him something about himself, and about Indian mysticism, totems and beliefs. And the insight provided by the dream-catcher acts as a spur to Ty to explore not only his surroundings, but his own feelings and intentions. The ravens keep watch over him, and create an absorbing backdrop for the ongoing story.

The book weaves a spellbinding tale of kids doing what teenage boys and girls do – exploring and taking chances. The chapters about the group of friends and their escapades are ingeniously intertwined with chapters about the Buffalo Soldiers and the Lakota tribe, bringing all the pieces of the story together in a harmonious whole. Ken Ramirez focuses on subtly reinforcing the messages to the readers about friendship, history and being stewards of the Earth's fragile environment. The book is written from the author's heart, demonstrating to yet another generation the necessity of caring for the planet we live on. A great read, for teen and adult alike!