The Dig: In Search of Coronado’s Treasure
Jim Hunt is desperate for a change. After losing his archeology scholarship, his girlfriend walks out on him and their infant daughter. Without a job and desperate to continue on with his dream of becoming an archeologist, Jim volunteers at a small-town museum in Lyons, Kansas, hoping to get some field experience in an archeological dig that the museum is sponsoring. Jim initially finds life in Lyons achingly boring and is dismayed to find out that the dig may be called off. He soon discovers that there is a lot more going on in the little town than he first imagined. A mysterious artifact surfaces along with a dead body.
Entwined with Jim’s story is one that took place 500 years earlier. Spanish conquistador Coronado is desperately trying to find the fabled city of gold, Quivira. His Indian guide, Turk, promises he knows the location of the city and can take Coronado to it. Does the city really exist or is Turk leading Coronado on a wild goose chase?
The two stories connect but rather loosely. Coronado’s story ends up being the more engaging of the two as Jim’s story, while full of colorful characters, is a bit weak on character development. A quick and easy read but not very satisfying.
