An Amazon Village Faces Big Oil. A conflict could cost lives. It could also save the Earth. Deep in Ecuador’s Amazon Basin, seismic waves rock the ground. A new road slices the rainforest. It rushes toward an Indigenous Kichwa village, threatening its land and its people. It is a tendril of oil exploration by corporate giants poised to suck the black gold from the Earth. Oil spills. Rampant disease. Starving wildlife. Dying villagers. All are imminent. The Kichwa must either confront the oil drillers – or retreat further into the jungle as they did to escape the Spanish colonizers, the Rubber Barons, and the Covid pandemic. The silence of death creeps under the canopy signaling the demise of both their ancient culture and a primary life source for the planet. The heart of the Kichwa village is one family. The mother is Sacha, emerging as a leader in this patriarchal community. Leading a conflict means facing obstacles set by her shamanic father, her two grown sons, and villagers quarreling between passive resistance or violent confrontation. Forest retreat might be easiest. To decide, villagers listen for messages from the spirit beings of the living forest. Messages they trust … messages they know the world needs to hear. Outside the forest are friends and deadly foes: U.S. and Chinese oil companies, corrupt Ecuadorian government officials, well-meaning U.S. expatriates, two environmental activists fleeing arrest, a wise prostitute, and whip-wielding women defenders of the rainforest - a melee of action and inspiration. "Susan MacBryde's book is its own jaguar, a gripping guide between the visible lives and the hidden existential conflicts and cultures of Amazon tribal people and those who would rob them of their homes and their very survival. It is more than just a good read about this clash between traditional rights and modern world greed -- it is also a heart-warming story, based on knowledge and research, of today's threatened jungle communities." John Keeble, author of Beyond Extinction "This is a sensitively written story that explores multiple perspectives on predation in the Amazon. The author has clearly studied the Kichwa people and the threats to their land; this insight provides a layer of richness to the storytelling." BookLife Prize "Author Susan MacBryde has crafted a superb work of drama that encompasses a wide range of complex themes and interesting dynamics, making for a highly engaging reading experience with a lot of poignant messages. This is a must-read for readers seeking a gripping narrative that intertwines action, inspiration, and the urgent need for environmental stewardship." Readers Favorite "The juxtaposition of dreams, nightmares, environmental and personal motives entwines a number of seemingly-disparate characters and forces, creating a story that is evocative, vivid, and hard to put down." D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review "Libraries and readers seeking powerful environmental-based stories will find Jaguar Dreams compelling, offering many topics worthy of book club discussion and individual reader contemplation about the nature of development, greed, and even love." Diane Donovan, Editor, Donovan's Literary Services