Green fires

by Marnie Mueller

In the heart of the Ecuadorian rainforest, there is currently a battle between native peoples such as the Huaorani, the Quichua and the Shuar; and the American oil companies who want to expand the roads and pipelines that would end their ancient ways of life. Set in 1969, Green Fires, Assault on Eden: a Novel of the Ecuadorian Rainforest has as its backdrop, the first clashes between indigenous peoples and multinational oil companies, a battle that may well determine the fate of the rainforest. It is the story of Annie Saunders, a disillusioned Kennedy-era Peace Corps volunteer, returning to Ecuador in 1969, hoping to come to terms with her traumatic experiences there years earlier. What she finds instead is a menacing and mysterious trail which she determinedly follows - ever deeper into the jungle - uncovering a sinister secret of international dimensions.