Gentle Annie

Book excerpt: Annie, a free spirit, encounters a shock to her system when the Master Dreamer pulls her out of Aboriginal Dreamtime and sends her to prehistoric northern Australia, nineteenth-century Mpartwe, and then on to World War II Coober Pedy. The Master Dreamer knows she must get stronger to learn to speak for herself as she helps the soul mate spirit she has aided in previous incarnations. All along her journeys, Annie is compelled to toughen her resolve in order to survive and to perform the help she was sent to give. On her life sojourn in Australia, she must assist Jerosh, the patriarchal village elder's son, who fights the rites of passage in his clan. Annie learns of herbs and natural medicines and acquires healing powers, which many in the tribe view as a threat. She must overcome their rigid adherence to the old patterns of the clan. Annie performs the task assigned to her by the Master Dreamer as she struggles to acclimate herself in altering realities. Having performed her latest tasks in an exemplary fashion, she discovers the oneness of those close to her and journeys to take the next step in her soul's development.