Struggling documentary producer Michael Burns has traveled to the remote Maya Mountains of Belize to capture exclusive footage of the last surviving curandero. The traditional Mayan healer may hold the key to discovering new medicines among the vast, uncharted flora of the rain forest. But with a violent civil war spilling across the border from neighboring Guatemala – and Burns inexplicably drawn to the aging curandero’s American apprentice – the filmmakers stumble into a more explosive story than they ever could have imagined.
At once an adventure and an exploration into the nature of perception, THE FIVE LOST DAYS exposes the clash between modern culture and ancient beliefs.
“THE FIVE LOST DAYS is written by my colleague William Petrick, a fine journalist turned novelist whose story of filmmaking in the jungles of Guatemala makes me grateful for all the close calls I avoided in a lifetime of reporting documentaries. It’s quite an experience he concocts, utterly believable —and downright scary.” – BILL MOYERS
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Reviews For “The Five Lost Days”
“What’s wonderful about this novel is that all the human drama and emotion is set against the back drop of civil war, the beauty of the rainforest, and a culture that moves at a much different place and with different beliefs than what the American filmmakers represent. The filmmakers have five days to shoot their documentary and they run into many problems as they try to impose their will on the world around them. The surprising ending leaves you to wonder what lessons any of them take from their experiences.”
— Linus’s Blanket
“THE FIVE LOST DAYS is a thrilling tale of ancient beliefs and local politics that will keep you begging for more.”
— Jenn’s Bookshelves
“Petrick writes sparingly and with a truly unique voice that captures the wilds of Belize and the dangers that occur when one becomes enraptured by a life different than one’s own. The characters and location are fully developed; allowing for a visual imagery that aids the building plot. Petrick has written a truly wonderful first book.”
— Literature Chick
“William Petrick’s story of filmmaking in the jungles of Guatemala makes me grateful for all the close calls I avoided in a lifetime of reporting documentaries. It’s quite an experience he concocts, utterly believable — and downright scary.”
— Bill Moyers
“With spare prose, a fascinating location, strong characters and a damn good story, Petrick takes us into journalism’s heart of darkness; that is, the false sense of safety that comes with being the ‘outsider,’ the one who merely covers a story, versus the dangers of what might happen if one day you suddenly step away from the middle of the road and fall into your story…”
— Linda Ellerbee, journalist and author
“There is no “getting into” Bill Petrick’s new novel. BAM, you’re there! And what a ride it is. From start to finish. Roaring down a river in the jungles of Belize or walking under the canopy of the forest looking for medicinal herbs. The story is layered and fast-paced. Great read. ”
— K.F. Williams on Amazon.com (13 of 19 reviews are 5-stars: Amazon.com reviews)