Inspired by the true, mysterious case of a well-preserved mummy discovered in 1991, a Maple Ridge writer has used his creative skills to weave a tale of forbidden love and revenge.
“Hunter Gatherer”, a self-published book written by Leslie Michael, of Maple Ridge, re-imagines the story of Otzi, also known as The Iceman.
Otzi’s mummified body was discovered by German tourists on the Similaun Glacier in the Otztal Alps on the Italian-Austrian border on Sept. 19, 1991.
According to the online Encyclopedia of Britannica, the body was radiocarbon-dated to 3300 BCE, or before the current era, and was discovered to be a human male about 45 years old; about five foot, two inches; and weighing about 110 pounds or 50 kilograms.
Researchers believe the man, who was named after the alps he was discovered in, died from hypothermia. He was discovered in a gully that they think was free of snow at the time and then his body was freeze-dried by the mountainous cold air and covered by the glacier, which protected it for thousands of years.
However, an X-ray undertaken in 2001, showed that an arrowhead was lodged in the Iceman’s left shoulder. And the subsequent discovery of a stab would on his right hand suggested he possibly bled to death.
Michael’s book re-imagines the fate of Otzi.
“I love history. I live and breathe history,” said Michael, noting he lived in Germany from 1963-66, during the height of the Cold War, which is where he first heard about the story of Otzi.
“This book takes you back to the time of the Crusaders and all the historical significant events that took place over the last 2,000 years,” he explained.
Michael is already thinking of his next book which, he said, will be based on the Malaysian Airlines passenger flight with 329 passengers on board that vanished from radar in March 2014, and was never found.
“Hunter Gatherer” by Leslie Michael can be found on Amazon, along with his other two books, “The Angel With A Broken Heart” and “The Day The Sun Danced” on Amazon UK.