Her father recovered slowly as her 11th birthday is coming up. Then the things she is about to encounter proves she is very brave.
Events take a sudden turn when she is invited to see Elcano, the very old and frail father of the village elder Pajaro. Not once, but three times he summons her. She is afraid of him, but he fascinates her. He calls her ‘his daughter he never had.’
Why? The amazing things he is about to tell her could be life-changing, things she had never thought about. And so, she nearly jumps out of her skin at what she is told. ‘Who me?’ she questions herself. ‘Really me?’
Will Matica be able to cope with these life-changing disclosures?
During all this, the poachers are back, looking for eggs and birds – and Talon.
TALON, CONNECTED is far more than a kids' story. It is a story about growing up, friendship, and the challenge of moral choices and respect. Ride along during the ongoing adventures of Matica and her best friends, the condors Talon, Tamo and Tima, characters many readers already know and have learned to love.
Excerpt
The word 'Connected' in the title is of great importance. Matica expressed it best, with profound simplicity: "Dad said it, Mum said it, and Elcano said it just before he passed away... We are all connected, with the condors as well."
Professional Reviews
This is what family is all about it
Jacqueline M. Piepenhagen
Author Gigi Sedlmayer's book, TALON, CONNECTED tells the life story of how two complete "opposites" can come together and "connect" to build a beautiful relationship in life.
In Talon, Connected comes forth the beauty of life where animal and human can survive the odds by working together to help each other out.
A young girl named Matica, not of the Indian tribe finds that she has a special talent to communicate with a family of Condors that live in the mountains. Tragedy strikes the small village when Matica's father is gravely injured. With the help of Talon, the young Condor and his family, they bring the healing herbs needed to save his life.
Life continues on in the quiet little village as the narrator described how the natives and Matica's family live a simple life bonding and connecting their two different cultures together.
Matica learns many lessons in life. With the death of a village elder, Matica comes to learn how to grieve yet celebrate life. She learns to share a special moments like her brother's birthday party without the need of expensive gifts. She also learns of the threats to humans as well as animals when the poachers are located in her mountain home.
I would recommend this book to all ages. The author skilfully weaves the ideas of friendship, loyalty, passion, inspiration and love. She sends a profound message that it is okay to be different and to be accepted for who you are.
A Celebration of life
Love2read
A special little girl and her unique ability to communicate and befriend a family of Condors, continues in the fourth book of the series. "Talon, Connected," is an inspirational and remarkable adventure of tiny Matica who is only small in stature, yet immeasurable in heart and soul. Gigi Sedlmayer continues to hearten our senses and emotions in the continuing saga of life in a small village located in the mountains of Peru. The challenges, problems, and heartache of life, are balanced with love, friendship and acceptance. A special relationship between Matica and a family of Condors encourages us to know that sometimes being different, is being special. I highly recommend The Talon series for all ages who want to celebrate faith, love, and enduring friendship through the hardships and blessings of life.
Very Entertaining Read
Todd Simpson
This is a great series. I’ve really enjoyed following Matica through each book on her adventures with the condors. It would be quite an amazing thing to be able to fly on their backs around the jungle, and Gigi Sedlmayer has done a wonderful job in depicting this in her stories. Matica is happy to be home after her dad was bitten by a spider in the jungle, on their return trip from Cajamarca. If it wasn’t for the Condors showing her the leaves to use to treat the bite on her father, she may have lost him. Matica makes her dad promise that he won’t make any of the trips through the jungle by himself in the future, after what happened to him. Especially since there was more than one poisonous spider the area where he was bitten. If it wasn’t for Tamo, Tima and Talon, Crayn would have certainly lost his leg. Matica finds out about the leaves that saved her dads life that Tamo brought to her in the jungle, from Pajaro dad Elcano. Being 117 years old, Elcano had been around long enough to have experienced many things. Then to Matica’s horror she hears about the poachers they are back in the area looking for the condors. She hears that they may be looking to kill Talon, so Tima will lay another egg for them to steal. She’s going to need to do everything she can to protect the condors from being harmed. I think this story would appeal to all age groups. It was certainly an entertaining and enjoyable read.
Britain 2099: people with disease and disabilities are not tolerated. When Travis is discovered to have epilepsy, he is put away in one of the feared institutions. Then he discovers his seizures are powerful enough to send him back in time, and that'
A girl and her horse...a desperate journey...one unforgettable summer.
Stormwind of the North Country: A young-adult wilderness adventure for ages 11 to 16. $8.95 plus shipping from Amazon.com.
