The Five Lost Days

By William Petrick

Book Overview

Struggling documentary producer Michael Burns has travelled to the remote Maya Mountains of Belize to capture exclusive footage of the last surviving curandero. The traditional Mayan healer may hold... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0980235529
• ISBN13: 9780980235524
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Pearhouse Press, Inc.
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An enthralling, intriguing page-turner....

From page one, this eco-novel kept me fascinated. Not only was the "The Five Lost Days" premise of a documentary producer following a native healer and American ex-pat well-presented, but every chapter heading offered information about native plants and their healing powers that added fascinating fuel to the fire. Situated in the political powder kegs of Belize and Guatemala, the story frantically unravels with horrifying child soldiers, trips down wild rivers on rafts, secret gardens of horticultural delights and unrequited love affairs. What more could you possibly need? Keep them coming, Bill Petrick. We'll be waiting.

captures the challenges of filmmaking mixed with danger and emotion

This book brings alive the challenges of shooting a documentary in a country where political turmoil intrudes into everyday life. The details of the characters and the landscape and the risks tell us not only about the story being filmed, but the personal conflicts present in capturing it. The multiple layers of emotion and danger make this a genuine page turner. As I producer, I felt I knew these people and was pulling for their success.

A book to savor, enjoy, and miss when it's finished.

I am a fast reader who usually flies through a book, retaining little but finishing in a day or two. But I savored this book. It was one of the best I've read in the past few years. The descriptions, phrasing, and knowledge hold your interest from page one. This book falls into the catagory of the very few great ones, a category that is defined by not wanting it to end. That is how "The Five Lost Days" was for me. I learned about a part of the world that I know nothing about. About a way of life and healing that is so interesting. "Devil in the White City", another favorite of mine, had the same quality of teaching without being obvious, combining history and facts with a story that is gripping. This is an extremely talented writer. I thought the cover was very eye-catching too. Two thumbs up, a perfect 10, and now a member of the Bill Petrick fan club.

Total Supense

The Five Lost Days is a beautifully written work, and is the most suspenseful novel I have read in years.

An intriguing novel of adventure, sure to please fans of the genre

One life can hold many secrets that may benefit the world. However, one life is also very fragile. "The Five Lost Days" follows aspiring documentarian Michael Burns as he goes on the search for the last curandero, a traditional healer of the Mayan culture. This individual, with his knowledge of the plants and flora of his home region, may be key to unlocking their medicinal properties. However, violent civil wars and many other events may snuff this knowledge out from the world for good. "The Five Lost Days" is an intriguing novel of adventure, sure to please fans of the genre.