In the Shadow of the Cypress
By: Thomas Steinbeck
Published: April 6, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1439168253
ISBN-13: 9781439168257
Publisher: Gallery Books
From a 1906 diary describing a potentially explosive discovery, that could rewrite history, to a modern scientific search for clues to that mystery, author Thomas Steinbeck captivates readers with his spellbinding first novel In the Shadow of the Cypress. The story is one of the search for truth, of the power of the past to have repercussions on the present and future, and of how ordinary people can change the course of events with their decisions and actions.
Thomas Steinbeck, son of iconic American author John Steinbeck, creates his own important place in American letters with his well crafted tale of lost Chinese relics that point to a 1422 discovery of America. Writing the story from three different points of view, and across one hundred years of time, the author creates a wondrous triptych of narrative delight. Thomas Steinbeck raises some critical questions for any time period, as he describes how events of the past cause very human responses long after their own time. The uncovering of fifteenth century Chinese artifacts in 1906 California, lead to intricate machinations within the Chinese community to hide the evidence, out of fear of repercussions. By burying the truth about previous explorations of the west coast of the Americas, the people involved fall prey to their own motives, fears, and desires, instead of sharing the critical facts of history with the world.
Thomas Steinbeck (photo left) deftly describes how the original artifacts were buried, by the Chinese naval commander, under a grove of imported cypress trees, planted for at that purpose. As the book title describes, those cypress trees would cast a long shadow into future events, centuries after their original planting. Just as those trees, and their hidden treasure of an unsettling truth, had a crucial impact on future events, so do actions of people of all times create shadows for future generations. Over time, the events of the past fade from memory, only to be brought back to life at some unexpected future moment. As the people of 1906 discovered, not everyone in their society would accept the new information of real historical events. To their Eurocentric thinking, a discovery of America by the Emperor's vast treasure fleet would be inconceivable.
For the characters in the contemporary portion of the novel, the perception of China is very different, but also one of concern. China, now as then, is a global power with influence covering the entire planet. The fear of upsetting standard histories may not have worried the modern characters in the novel. They were influenced by the very human traits of seeking fame and wealth, of being credited with a paradigm altering discovery, and of determining possession and ownership through time. In both 1906 and 2008, the events of the discovery were placed in motion by ordinary people. The actions also took on a momentum of their own, as truth always seeks to be discovered and understood. The author leaves a sense of wonder in the mind of the reader that perhaps lost items seek to be found, and their secrets revealed. In the end, the artifacts were life changing for every person who learned of their existence.
I highly recommend the wonderful novel In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck, to anyone seeking an adventure novel that brings history alive, and displays its impact on the modern world. Events of the past continue to influence our lives today, very often in ways never even imagined by the people of the past. The author makes clear that historical truth will eventually be uncovered, and its secrets brought to light, with an impact on all of humanity. Very often, it's the unexpected action of an unknown person, who reveals the historical artifacts, that change the course of history.
Read the delightful and enthralling novel In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck, and be transported back to 1906 in California, and then returned to our own time, following the unknown threads of history that connect past times to our own era. The story is a gripping page turner that stays with the reader long after its completion. History affects our lives, and our actions as history will affect generations yet unborn. Like the cypress trees, we all cast long shadows into the future.
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