Spirit of the Valley

In Spirit of the Valley the reader buys one ticket and takes two trips. One is through the sunny and tangible realm of a California oak woodland; the other is through the enchanting province of mythology. Both journeys lead the reader into a comfortable and charming country.

Baxter Trautman transports the traveler with the black and white pen of science dipped in the colorful ink of myth. Throughout, words pave this journey through the landscape; from the relatively young, 300-year-old literary origin of the state name, to the Babylonian name for one of the brightest summer constellations. Backed with a comprehensive index and reference section, Spirit of the Valley offers a thought-provoking and entertaining read.