Coyote and the Gods of Wood

by: Joanna Mersereau

What REALLY happened in California in 1769 amid the Spanish padres, the military and the Natives? In “Coyote and the Gods of Wood” we see history through the eyes of Fathers Serra and Crespi, Lieutenant Fages and Captain Rivera, Fages’ enemy. Seeks-the-Moon, believer in Coyote, follows the Expedition and falls into trouble when he tries to understand the “Pale Ones” and their “gods of wood.” This novel, based on historical facts, immerses you in the dreams and schemes of the founding of the California Missions. It has all the ingredients of high drama: heroes, villains, innocents, life and death.

“Coyote and the Gods of Wood” is Joanna Mersereau’s first novel. As a painter, she became interested in the California Missions, researching their founding and visiting Father Serra’s birthplace in Majorca, Spain. Mersereau resides and paints watercolors in Riverside, California. She is a signature member of the prestigious American Watercolor Society and a founding member of Watercolor West.