Bird’s Eye View: A Tapestry of Maya mythology, motherhood, and making life anew.
When Jan moves to Guatemala with her young daughter to run a medical clinic on the heels of her divorce, she knows the experience will be difficult and life-changing. But she doesn’t anticipate all the ways she will change. To make sense of her professional, personal, and parenting turmoil in a country with plenty of its own turmoil, Jan finds herself adopting a Maya worldview that weaves together concepts of duality (there can be no light without dark, no joy without pain), harmony with nature, and the importance of connecting to the past to understand one’s present self. Awash with elements of Maya mythology, history, and culture and innumerable revelations of the compassion, intelligence, and resilience of the Guatemalan people, Bird’s-Eye View is a coming-of-middle-age story that shows how viewing life through the prism of a different set of myths can help an individual understand the familiar tales they have unwittingly followed.
What People Are Saying
“A masterfully written and captivating tale with heartbreak as the catalyst to change the course of life. Bird's Eye View shows us a woman's strength and resilience as author Jan Capps weaves the past and the present using the concepts of an ancient culture. You will become lost in this quest for love, peace, and self-acceptance, with fascinating storylines and an air of mystery as we learn the intricacies of the Maya world. A fantastic read that will not leave you for some time.”
— Dianne C. Braley, Author of The Silence in the Sound and winner of the NYC Big Book Award for women's fiction
"Through a profound and transformative journey, this book masterfully intertwines personal upheaval with the rich tapestry of Guatemalan culture and Maya mythology. The author's narrative skillfully navigates the complexities of rediscovering oneself amidst life's unexpected turns. Her experiences in Guatemala, woven with poignant reflections and vivid cultural insights, offer readers an inspiring tale of resilience, adaptability, and the redefinition of dreams. A truly captivating and enlightening read that resonates deeply with anyone facing life's myriad challenges."
- Susan Friedmann, CSP, international bestselling author of Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market
“Infused with insights, adventure, mythology, and parenting foibles and triumphs, this memoir of a year in Guatemala as a single mother is a delicious combination of hard-won wisdoms, sometimes painful moments, humor and Mayan folklore. Jan Capps is a natural storyteller with a keen eye for detail. A Birds Eye View is thoughtfully perceptive and funny as she fearless brings us along to explore literally and figuratively everything. A perfect mergence and a page turning read.”
— Susanna Block MD, MPH Pediatric Hospitalist, Seattle’s Child columnist, founder of Rise Up And Read refugee library literacy and attachment project
“In Bird's Eye View, author Jan Capps embarks on a profound journey of self-discovery. A single mother, she courageously decides to step into the unknown, leaves her old life behind, and enters a new world that would change her forever. This is really a book about life and how our purpose is really the exploration of it.”
—Ryan Lindner, Author of The Half-Known Life: What Matters Most When You're Running Out of Time
“A spiritual journey and in equal parts a story of a single mother guiding her daughter while they live in Guatemala and providing leadership to a non-profit health project. A worthy read.”
— Sue Hammerton ARNP Professor Denver School of Nursing and advisor to San Benito Health Program.
“In her mesmerizing memoir, Jan Capps unfolds a captivating narrative that transcends the conventional tale of heartbreak and resilience. Against the backdrop of the picturesque Lake Atitlan in the Guatemalan highlands, Jan immerses herself in the local community, runs a health clinic, and raises her daughter in this colorful and sometimes dangerous new world. Jan's narrative unfolds as a rich tapestry, seamlessly blending her southern Baptist roots, her pursuit of social justice, the complexities of love.”
—Jonathan Scheffer, MD Emergency Medicine Physician, Kaiser Permanente
“Bird's Eye View is a compelling read. Jan Capps artfully weaves together her post-divorce struggles to raise a pre-teen child alone in a foreign land with her understanding of Guatemalan history and Mayan cosmology. As she courageously reveals her innermost fears and failures, Jan's love for the people of Guatemala and their impact on her life shine through.”
— Ron W. Wilhelm, PhD President, ODIM Board of Directors, Professor Emeritus University of North Texas
“A humbling piece of introspection, interwoven with rich cultural context and symbolism. Jan bares her inner world to the reader, inviting us to accompany her on her quest for meaning and belonging.”
— Holly Hayes, MSc International Humanitarian Worker
“Bird’s Eye View is a remarkable, captivating book. Memoir, travelogue, anthropological essay on Mayan cosmology, and indictment of Guatemala’s corrupt political system and feckless state, Jan Capps’ highly entertaining work overflows the boundaries imposed by simplistic genre labels. With candor, wit and rich detail she invites us to accompany her on her personal journey to make a difference among Guatemala’s marginalized Mayan population, to make sense of her failed marriage and to overcome the challenges of parenting her young daughter far from the comforts, predictability and security of home.”
— Paul W. Posner, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Clark University
“Bird’s Eye View” style painting from San Juan Laguna, Guatemala incorporating Jan and her daughter. Light and life guiding the way on life’s journey.