The Cenote

"When Sandpiper finds she is pregnant with the baby of a traveling trader, her mother forces her to marry an unattractive (and unsuspecting) chief's son named Lark from a distant jungle tribe. Lark, however, is thrilled. He takes his exotic island bride to his village, built on the ruins of an ancient temple. Lark introduces Sandpiper to the cenote--a mysterious, deep pool and the village's only source of water--and explains that part of her duties as his wife is to haul water from this well for their home and garden. One day, when Sandpiper goes to the cenote, she discovers the body of a young man, face down in the water. Horrified, she runs to tell her sister-in-law who explains that men are often found dead in the cenote. No one knows why, and no one is supposed to talk about it. It baffles Sandpiper that the villagers are reluctant to talk about these tragedies out loud, but she joins the silence since she has her own secret to hide. Before long, another victim is found in the cenote. Cedar, the wife of the chief, fears that her adult sons will be next, so she gathers the women for a secret meeting hoping that if the women talk openly about the cenote, they might be able to find a way to finally put an end to the tragedies. This alarming information transforms the attitudes of the women in the village. They become mistrustful, suspicious and obsessed with their appearance, feeling like they need to compete with the voices of the cenote."--Text from publisher.