Thomas Steinbecks short story collection Down to a Soundless Sea won high praise from critics and readers everywhere. Now, he continues the family tradition of fascinating storytelling in his first full-length novel In the Shadow of the Cypress, which showcases his splendidly assured voice and exquisite eye for cultural detail. In 1906, Doctor Charles H Gilbert, a Stanford professor of marine biology discovers some ancient jade artefacts on Californias Monterey Peninsula. The existence of these sacred stones, if authenticated, would indicate a very early Asian presence in the New World, an idea that conflicts with modern beliefs. When the Chinese fishing village where the artefacts were discovered is completely burned to the ground, there are many conflicting opinions about the proper fate of these artefacts.
