The Well of Sacrifice

The Well of Sacrifice is a middle grade historical adventure set in ninth-century Guatemala. Eveningstar Macaw would never challenge the Mayan government – until the King dies. To secure power, the evil high priest sacrifices anyone who challenges him. When he sets his sights on Eveningstar’s family, she fights back. Set against the vivid background of everyday life at the height of the Mayan golden age and illustrated with striking paintings, Eveningstar’s candid, gripping and not-for-the-faint-of-heart account of the last days of a great city will have readers at the edge of their seats.Kirkus Reviews called The Well of Sacrifice “[An] engrossing first novel….Eboch crafts an exciting narrative with a richly textured depiction of ancient Mayan society….The novel shines not only for a faithful recreation of an unfamiliar, ancient world, but also for the introduction of a brave, likable and determined heroine.” The novel also received favorable reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.The Well of Sacrifice was listed in “Great and Almost-Great Books about Latinos,” by Isabel Schon, in MultiCultural Review. It was featured in “The Fascination of Other Pasts,” by Suzanne Rahn, in The Five Owls. Rahn said of the book, “To persuade the reader, however momentarily, to accept as “normal” what one’s own culture regards as bizarre seems to me a particularly impressive—and valuable—achievement for an historical novelist.” The Well of Sacrifice was also listed in the Seattle Public Library’s brochures “Grades 5&6 Books to Build On,” “Chicano/Latino Doorways to Culture and Tradition,” and “Read up a Storm,” a booklist sponsored by Starbucks and the Seattle Storm women’s basketball team.