A quiet, intimate novel, Prelude to a Change of Mind unfolds in the mountain fastness of a possible recent past--or parallel history. With grace and humor, it evokes a world in which dwarves and elves burst from legend into life. Meg Christmas, firewatcher in a western sierra, is pulled from the brink of death by strange, small folk who appear at her side as if by magic. When crisis threatens the beings to whom she owes her life, Meg must plumb within for abilities to confront, accept and save a reality previously unsuspected. Part fantasy, part dialogue, part fairy tale for adults, this fi rst book of The Hidden Lands of Nod offers a delightful entry into the imagination of Robert Stikmanz.