Any girl would dread the celebration of her 'womanhood' but that's what happens when Sha'Di moves in with her traditional grandfather on the Navajo reservation."

Her dreams of being an all-American teenager in Los Lunas are shattered when the breakdown of her parents' marriage force a re-location.

She expects to slide silently into womanhood, but the Navajo do just the opposite and celebrate with a big event, Kinaalda, which tells the world the girl has special powers and invites them to come and share and benefit.

These traditions link womanhood with the stirring of ancient powers - powers beyond the reason of science and control of the unwary.

But the 'Gift' is not only in her but growing stronger, allowing her to enter the minds of other people and the news spreads inexorably within the small community.

Using her power she saves the life of Craig, the rancher's son, trapped in a car wreck, alone, in the desert and is helicoptered with him to hospital in Phoenix, Sha'Di begins to attract attention from the outside world, changing her life forever.