Singing Grass

Richard Young, a clinical psychologist practicing in Taos, New Mexico, has a troubled past. His new client, Christopher Carson, bears an uncanny resemblance to the historical Kit Carson. Christopher's obsession with the injustices perpetrated against Native Americans, heightened by specific details he provides of past injustices, begins to unnerve Richard, an immigrant. Is this a rare case of an identity disorder, trauma caused by vicarious guilt, or is it something more mysterious and otherworldly? Becoming increasingly suspicious that Christopher is somehow using him, perhaps feigning mental illness to cover up a murder resembling an incident in Kit Carson's life, Richard's own life starts to unravel, and his character flaws become more evident. His ever-supportive and talented wife, Sharon, who is an artist, begins to question their relationship. When Richard encounters Christopher's daughter, he realizes he knows her under another name. She was deeply involved in the scandal that cost Richard his university job. It will be up to Sharon to resolve the conflicting tensions. The story is set against the harshly beautiful environs of the traditional lands of the Navajo people and the Taos Puebloans, and their vibrant cultures.

Back cover synopsis Richard Young, a psychologist with a troubled past, is now a psychotherapist in vibrant Taos, New Mexico. He is unsettled by a mysterious client, Christopher Carson, whose life-story bears an uncanny resemblance to the notable scout and pioneer of the old West, Kit Carson. Is this a case of a serious mental disorder or something more sinister, even mystical? Richard's wife Sharon is a talented artist with a gallery in town. Typically supportive, she begins to question their relationship as she sees her husband's mental health unravelling. Her own quiet confidence is challenged when she discovers the new student in her art class is married to Richard's suspicious client, with whom he's becoming increasingly obsessed. Into this web of tension steps a vital Native American woman who was involved in the scandal that had cost Richard his university job. What is her connection to the enigmatic Christopher, whose untruthfulness and continuous derailment of his therapy sessions are so perplexing? An unsolved murder fuels suspicion as Richard must confront the devastating history of the American Indian nations resisting the relentless western expansion. Sharon's patience is tested. Can she remain steadfast and hold together all these conflicting relationships, entangled as they are with feelings of guilt, regret, and cultural identity? Behind the drama and the sacred landscapes of the American Southwest, flickers the haunting essence of Kit Carson's first wife, a young Arapaho woman, Singing Grass.

Ian M. Evans was born in England of Scottish parents and grew up in South Africa. He is a clinical psychologist who has taught and practiced in the UK, United States, and New Zealand. After completing a doctorate at The Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, his first academic position was at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Subsequently he taught at Binghamton University in upstate New York, and also at Massey University in New Zealand. His professional interests are with children and families, disabilities, and the role of schools in promoting positive emotional development in young people. In recognition of his scientific work on the theory and practice of psychotherapy, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He is married to Luanna Meyer and between them they have a blended and eclectic mix of children and grandchildren, all of whom generate love and provide endless fascination. On their return to Honolulu in retirement, he turned his hand to writing fiction. Singing Grass is his fifth novel. He loves wildlife photography back in South Africa's superb games reserves, and strengthening his Scottish roots through his appreciation of the subtleties of single malt whisky. His other interests are politics, environmental protection, and the wonderful people and geography of New Zealand. Hawaii too is a special place of aloha for him, not simply because he enjoys the beaches and the climate, which he does, but for the tolerance and celebration of diverse cultures.