Synopsis
5500 years ago something happened that changed the history of mankind forever. The Botai people tamed the horse.
In BOTAI: Shadowtraces, we follow three young people on their individual quests. Quests that will change their destinies forever.
Set on the Eurasian steppe, the Botai people live a life in a pact between nature and horses. But a dark shadow is looming. A curse, also called a minwri, is spreading decease and death.
Nakou is a nomad and part of the Yamnaya people. She has lost her family to the curse and is therefore forced to flee to the Altai Mountains where she is to be married against her will.
Jalqi sets out on a dangerous journey to find the shiny stones that can make the curse go away and rescue his people.
Lyez is making his away alone over the never-ending steppe to find his father, but a fateful meeting awaits him.
This is a compelling novel about a people that is not widely known. Leonora van Deurs' writing is based on concrete historical facts, and her vast scientific background knowledge, on genetics and language among other things, is outstanding.
Reviews
"A masterpiece!" – (Tidsskriftet Børn & Bøger (the Magazine Children & Books))
"Well-written and well-crafted historical narrative that captivates from the first page to the last. The story of the Botai people comes to life in such a well-told way that you can almost smell the smoke from the fire and hear the sound of the horses' hoofbeats. An impressive work by the young debut author Leonora van Deurs." – (Dansk Bibliotekscenter (Danish Library Centre))
Personal note from the author
Why did you choose to write about a people who lived thousands of years ago?
After my research, I was completely immersed in the world of the Botai people and I often imagined what life would have been like in a Botai village back then. Their everyday life was incredibly different from what we have today, and I found it exciting to try to imagine how they might have thought and behaved back then. The Botai are able to tame the horse and create a bond with an animal that gives them an invaluable resource. That bond would change the course of human history. I wanted to describe that feeling of an amazing connection to and understanding of nature. That's why nature and the Botai people's appreciation and perception of it is also very important in the novel.
I also fundamentally believe that the protagonists' feelings about growing up and getting to know themselves and the world thousands of years ago are very similar to those of young people today.
