Guided by her Navajo ancestors, seventh-grader Nizhoni Begay discovers she is descended from a holy woman and destined to become a monsterslayer, starting with the evil businessman who kidnapped her father. Includes glossary of Navajo terms.

"Pondering math problems is Esther Ainsworth's obsession. If only life's puzzles required logic. Her stepfather's solution? Avoidance. He's exiled the family to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, to erase a big secret from Esther's past. So much for the truth. Now for the consequences: an empty swimming pool, a water-sucking cactus outside her window, a goldfish rescued from a church festival, and Esther's thirst for something real. Step one: forget...