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A Place In the World

Author: Cinda Crabbe MacKinnon

ISBN 978-0-98884-830-6 (softcover)

340 pages


A woman without a country in a man’s world, the initially naïve Alicia survives by her wit and determination. A passionate affair ensues with Peter, a rugged geologist. She also forms a tight friendship with Carmen, the barefoot woman who has worked for the Carvallo family most of her life. Despite being separated by class and nationality, these two single mothers forge a strong bond.


KIRKUS REVIEWS..the story of a young woman with no home and little connection to family..Alicia has lived all over the world,especially South America..she follows her Colombian boyfriend Jorge, to his country..becomes part of the Carvallo coffee farm and, after a series of calamities, ends up running it alone..In the midst of this familial and romantic drama are many compelling, detailed descriptions of the rainforest. Mackinnon brings to life the forest's flora and fauna, the wildlife, and the tribal people..meticulous detail and knowledge of the locale bring a unique richness to the novel..

"A Place in the World" is a serene, affecting, and poignant novel by a gifted storyteller. This gentle, meditative novel ramped up the tension toward the end and morphed into a genuine thriller. The author created a world that was wholly realistic and honest. In fact, everything about this novel pulsated with authenticity--the place, the characters, the animals, the community, the rebels, the indigenous tribesmen, and most of all, the everyday drama...the sign of a genuine five-star story. I recommend it highly.
- Barbara Case, Emeriti University Librarian, top Amazon reviewer


From the Back Cover

"Set down by fate on a remote coffee plantation in the mountains of Colombia, a young American discovers her deepest passions. The rainforest itself is the book's most detailed and compelling character, and it's this sense of place that holds Alicia most firmly ........where her love for the people around her slowly comes to fruition. Gentle, moving, and elegiac, A Place in the World tells the story of a young woman who transforms
an alien place into the home of her heart, and in the process transforms herself as well. "
Anastasia Hobbet, author of Pleasure of Believing and Small Kingdoms


 Cinda Crabbe MacKinnon grew up in Latin America. She began telling stories to her little brother when they were children in Bogota. Her experiences and love for the people, culture and natural setting of Colombia resulted in her novel, A Place in the World. A writer, university lecturer, and environmental scientist, she has an MS in geology and a longtime passion for botany. This background enabled her to weave details into her writing on tropical nature and geology, as well as Colombian society. Cinda has published articles in local newspapers and journals on environmental topics, as well as an award winning short story. She received the William Penn Mott Jr. Award for her environmental work on local creeks. In her spare time she volunteers for Guide Dogs for the Blind and the California Native Plant Society. She lives in northern California with her husband and their golden retriever.

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