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The Falling Woman Kindle Edition

by Pat Murphy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 328 ratings
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Winner of the Nebula Award: “A lovely and literate exploration of the dark moment where myth and science meet” (Samuel R. Delany).

When night falls over the Yucatan, the archaeologists lay down their tools. But while her colleagues relax, Elizabeth Butler searches for shadows. A famous scientist with a reputation for eccentricity, she carries a strange secret. Where others see nothing but dirt and bones and fragments of pottery, Elizabeth sees shades of the men and women who walked this ground thousands of years before. She can speak to the past—and the past is beginning to speak back.

As Elizabeth communes with ghosts, the daughter she abandoned flies to Mexico hoping for a reunion. She finds a mother embroiled in the supernatural, on a quest for the true reason for the Mayans’ disappearance. To dig up the truth, the archaeologist who talks to the dead must learn a far more difficult skill: speaking to her daughter.
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  1. Print length
    290 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  5. Publication date
    April 15, 2014
  6. File size
    2402 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Elizabeth Waters, an archeologist who abandoned her husband and daughter years ago to pursue her career, can see the shadows of the past. It's a gift she keeps secret from her colleagues and students, one that often leads her to incredible archeological discoveries and the realization that she might be going mad. Then on a dig in the Yucatan, the shadow of a Mayan priestess speaks to her. Suddenly Elizabeth's daughter Diane arrives, hoping to reconnect with her mother. As mother, daughter and priestess fall into the mysterious world of Mayan magic, it is clear one will be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. The book won the 1988 Nebula Award.

Review

“A lovely and literate exploration of the dark moment where myth and science meet.” —Samuel R. Delany

“Murphy’s [blend] of fantasy and reality honorably recalls the novels of Margaret Atwood.” —Publishers Weekly

“Murphy’s convincing modern setting is a marvelous foil for her frighteningly alien Mayan ghost, and the archeological material, besides being fascinating in its own right, is put to excellent use in the plot.” —Newsday

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J84KLNK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy; Reissue edition (April 15, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 15, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2402 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 328 ratings

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Pat Murphy

Pat Murphy

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
328 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Loren Shelton
5.0 out of 5 stars Moving & Mystifying
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2023
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The smooth storytelling style lured me into comfort: then the action happened. Why did this book win a Nebula Award? It is a very engaging story with a powerful undercurrent of personal evolution. What 'science' was featured in this story line? Archeology.

I enjoyed this story for it's honesty and it's heart.
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Divascribe
4.0 out of 5 stars Visions of the past
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2018
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This an interesting novel about an archaeologist who can see people from the distant past. On a dig at a Mayan site in the Yucatan, one of those visions warns her about danger to herself and her daughter, who has joined her at the dig after years of estrangement. That's the basic story, but it is much more complex than that. I liked this book. My only complaint is that it took a long time to get to the crux of the story. But it was written well enough that I still enjoyed the ride.
One person found this helpful
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R. Dickson
3.0 out of 5 stars I failed to find a Nebula Award winning story in this book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2017
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Was very disappointing since this was a Nebula Award winner in 1988. I thought the award was suppose to represent the best story of the year in the Science Fiction or Fantasy genre but this particular book I would struggle to classify as either. It felt more like a story about a woman and daughter chasing their own demons (mental issues, life choices, etc) than a story embracing possibilities.

The story itself was well written and told such that it was interesting but never felt like it should be classified as a science fiction or fantasy novel.
6 people found this helpful
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Susan Beaty
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it the first time, looking forward to the re-read
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2015
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It's been so long since I read this book I remember very little of the plot details, but I do remember that I really liked it and was thrilled when it became available as an ebook last year. I read voraciously, and that I even remember it so many years on is an indication to me of what a worthwhile read it is. I immediately bought it as an and it's still in my "to be re-read" queue. Reading some of the reviews here tonight, I think I'll re-read it sooner rather than later. Pat Murphy is an accomplished writer and I enjoyed both this book and "The City Not Long After".
One person found this helpful
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Greyladymae
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Light reading
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2018
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It was an enjoyable book. Not anything I could get lost in, but nothing I had to think too hard about either. It was an easy read and kept me company when I couldn't sleep.
2 people found this helpful
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MDM
5.0 out of 5 stars A haunting Mayan mystery spanning time....
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2018
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I really enjoyed this book. Since I have done a bit of archaeological work in Central America this was especially interesting to me and the mysteries the author speaks of, the tone established by the characters, would make even those who are not archaeology buffs get a sense of the awe and mystery an archaeologist experiences in the field.
One person found this helpful
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Melanie D. Typaldos
2.0 out of 5 stars Not science fiction
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2016
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I am currently reading all of the Nebula Award winning novels in chronological order. This is the winner for 1988.

This is NOT science fiction. I really do not understand how it could have won a Nebula Award. That is crap. If you are looking for SF, do not look here. The only conceivable link to SF is that the main character is an anthropologist who sees ghosts of people from earlier times.

The book is well written literary fiction about the relationship between a woman and her estranged daughter.

That's all I have to say.
4 people found this helpful
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Debra J Patton
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2016
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Enjoyed how known Mayan history was weaved into a fictional but believable story. Only part I did not think needed to be part of the story was sexual content scene at the beach and in the hotel room. I feel it did not contribute to the story.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

legionseagle
4.0 out of 5 stars A classic work of magical realism
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2019
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A very realistic portrayal of an archeological dig with just one minor difference: the lead academic sees ghosts of the people who lived and worked on the site over a thousand years ago. Then she meets a spirit who sees her, and, what's more, serves a trickster goddess.
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Ilzamar
3.0 out of 5 stars Not Recommended
Reviewed in Canada on June 14, 2018
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I really appreciated the premise of an archeologist who can see into the past and interact with the dead. but was let down by the story and characters. I felt like I was waiting through most of the book for something to happen. When it finally did I pretty much shrugged my shoulders. I didn't care much for the characters. Plus I'm not all that interested in looking at ancient Mayan societies exclusively through the eyes of white characters. It really lacked some of the vibrant discussion I've encountered, even as a lay person. And Mexican men were definitely stereotyped.
One person found this helpful
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joanna naomi walsh
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2014
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Gripping and convoluted story, well written with believable characters that you can care about
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