REVIEWS
Excerpts from emails sent to Virginia after the Ivy Gate Literary Fair
BOUGHT ON A WHIM
I bought The Ancient Future at the Ivy Gate Literary Fair, and I loved every page. Elizabeth's journey is honest, moving, and beautifully told.
Thank you for writing something this special.
MY FAVORITE IN-FLIGHT READ IN A LONG TIME
I bought The Ancient Future at the Ivy Gate Literary Fair on my way out, almost as an afterthought, and it ended up being the best impulse buy I've made in a while.
I travel constantly for work, and this was my in-flight read for a trip to Chicago and back. Somewhere over the Rockies I hit the river crossing scene and had to just sit with it for a minute before I could keep reading.
The way Great Mother's voice moves through the story gave the whole book a rhythm I wasn't expecting from what I thought would be a straightforward adventure story.
BOUGHT THIS FOR MY DAD, ENDED UP READING IT FIRST
I picked up The Ancient Future at the Ivy Gate Literary Fair for my father, who was with me that day, but I ended up reading it for myself first and now I don't want to give it up.
What got me was how unflinching it is about grief. Elizabeth doesn't move past losing Frank so much as she learns to carry it differently, and that felt true in a a way a lot of books about loss don't manage.
The Kogi scenes added something almost sacred to the whole trek, and Carlos kept me guessing right up until the end.
THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS BOOK
I'm close to Elizabeth's age, and a widow myself, and so much of what she carried onto that trail felt familiar.
Watching her hold her own on that six day trek, mule troubles and all, gave me a kind of hope I didn't expect from a book I picked up at a fair table.
The scenes with the Kogi and the mysterious pull of Great Mother added something I've never quite read before. It made the whole trip feel sacred, not just scenic.
What if the greatest adventure of your life begins after everything you thought defined you has ended? After the loss of her husband, Elizabeth feels trapped by grief, uncertainty, and the quiet realization that she no longer recognizes herself. Searching for something beyond comfort and routine, she accepts an unexpected challenge: a six-day trek through the rugged mountains of northern Colombia to the legendary Lost City, La Ciudad Perdida.
Published worldwide in hardcover, paperback, and digital editions, the novel blends adventure, cultural exploration, psychological insight, and spiritual reflection, The Ancient Future is a captivating literary novel that celebrates resilience, personal transformation, and the timeless wisdom found in both nature and Indigenous traditions
BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION GUIDE
Why is Elizabeth on this hike? Why doesn't she give up?
How does she change in her responses to challenges over the six days?
Does she find what she seeks? If so, what had the most influence on her? How does her attitude and understanding of her personal grief change by the end of her hike?
Do you think Great Mother was truly a spirit, or do you think Elizabeth conjured the presence of Great Mother to validate her assumptions or for some other reason?
Is Elizabeth a reliable narrator?
Why is David on this hike? Is it more than just accompanying his mother?
What is his relationship with his mother? How about with his father, when he was alive?
What is his relationship with the other hikers? Does this give you insight to his character?
Does he change over the course of the hike? If so, how?
Does he have an influence on his mother? Does she have influence on him?
Will the Kogi culture survive? How will it change? What strengths and weaknesses will help or hinder
What do you think about their culture and traditions?
Why would Great Mother make herself known to Elizabeth?
What influence did Great Mother have on Elizabeth? Did Elizabeth have any influence on Great Mother?
Did Great Mother have conversations with Elizabeth, or did Elizabeth imagine these conversations to help her sort her feelings and fears?
WHO IS CARLOS, THE MYSTERIOUS GUIDE?
Did he ever intentionally put his hikers in danger? What was his attitude toward them?
Do you think Elizabeth describes his actions accurately. or is she exaggerating or minimizing them?
Did you anticipate what happened to him in the book's ending?
Note from Virginia
I'd love to hear how your book club discussed The Ancient Future. What questions were raised? How did you understand the characters? Please drop an email to me and I will add your ideas to this page. Let me know if you want it accredited to your book club. If so, include the name and location of your club.
writervirginiacronk@yahoo.com
authorvirginiacronk on Facebook
David: Elizabeth's Son
Elizabeth: Narrator and Central Character
The Kogi: The Indigenous Group Who Own This Side of the Mountain
Begin Reading Today
The Ancient Future is available worldwide through Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle formats for readers everywhere.