Jo Ann Harter

Olo of the Mound Builders Jo Ann Harter

Life suddenly changes for thirteen year old Olo when he is captured by Nadac, a hostile warrior. On a forced march across an open field, Olo looks up to see a rabbit falling from the clutches of an eagle. When he catches it, the superstitious warriors think he is a "chosen one" and take him before the chief's council. There he is apprenticed to the elderly shaman, Temasah. Olo finds happiness in his new home except for Nadac's taunts. Conflict and tensions escalate until Olo saves Nadac from drowning in the flood-swollen river. Proclaimed a hero, he must prepare for induction into the tribe, by going on a vision quest to face his fears, discover his spirit voice, and find his personal totem. Deep inside a cave, Olo falls from a crumbling rock ledge into frigid water. Wet, injured and alone in the dark, Olo is near panic when he asks, "Will I perish here in the bowels of Mother Earth?"