The Mesa Runner

In 1680, as Spanish rule tightens its grip on the pueblos of the Southwest, a young Hopi boy named Hania is taken from his mesa and forced into a distant compound. Stripped of his name and his world, he must learn the language of his captors while secretly holding onto the stories of his home.When whispers of resistance reach the compound through hidden cords and careful words, Hania begins to run-first to survive, then to carry messages that could change everything. As the day of the great uprising draws closer, he must decide what kind of runner he will become: one who simply delivers words, or one who protects what matters most.Spanning the high mesas and the dangerous lowlands, The Mesa Runner is a powerful coming-of-age story of courage, memory, and the quiet strength of a people who refuse to be erased. It is a novel about the weight we choose to carry and the trails we must run to bring something sacred home.