PYGOYA
-a novel of rebel art and the supernatural

by Rodney E.J. Chang

A stunning tale of art, breaking the rules, and a creative spirit that can’t be contained, no matter what. In 1625, tribal rebel Leila defies the priests of her community by chiseling artwork in a secret cave. When she’s found out, she’s put to fiery death by lava, but her spirit lives on, encased in a volcanic stone that transforms everyone who touches it. Carried by a Spanish conquistador, taken to Salem around the time of the witch trials, the rock is finally brought to Maine. But when Leila encounters a modern-day toddler named Anthony, she decides to become his art teacher, following him into his adulthood and transforming him into Pygoya, a digital painter of mysterious black rocks. What is their incredible shared destiny, and can it free them both? Panoramic, mythical and absolutely magic, this is an unforgettable examination of how certain people at certain times are destined to move the world with their art.