Sometimes you pick up a book thinking it will just be an average reading experience; one that gives you something to do on a normal day where you have a few hours to sit and relax. Heirs of a Lost Race is not such a book. It is much more and demands that the reader pay attention to the greater message. Pitard requires the reader to think about the characters, what is happening and why, and contrasts that information with the his/her world. It takes several chapters before the pieces begin to fit into the story and is worth the wait. The characters offer a prismatic view of human nature from love and misplaced hate to the search for a higher, moral purpose in living. Like other classic tales, the message reminds us that people are only complete when they give fully to a cause beyond their own gain. By doing so, however, the journey is neither easy nor painless. To give fully most often requires that, as individuals, we may be asked to consign our personal needs and wants to attain the mission. Ancient Incan and Polynesian legends come alive under Pitard's skilled and riveting re-creation of ancient mariners and their epic journeys. Pitard's sensory conjuring creates experiences so vivid, so alive that you will see, hear, and smell the lush, primeval forests thick with exotic flora, fauna... and impenetrable mystery. Thrill at being Kon Tici Viracocha's companion as he challenges the terrible, unknown reaches of the Pacific Ocean, swim among breathtaking reefs, and explore atolls rife with unseen dangers.