After her first week teaching at a boarding school on the Navajo Reservation near Canyon de Chelly, young Erica Elliott almost left in despair, unable to communicate with the children or understand cultural cues. But once she started learning the Navajo language, the people began to trust her, taking her into their homes and ceremonies. Moving, mesmerizing, and genuine, Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert recounts Erica's journey as she is drawn deeper into Navajo life, detailing her profound experiences with the people, animals, and spirits of Canyon de Chelly. Fulfilling a Navajo grandmother's prophecy, she returns years later as a medical doctor to offer her services to Navajo patients.

Erica Elliott is a medical doctor with a busy private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A true adventurer, she has lived and worked around the world. She served as a teacher for Indigenous children on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and in the mountains of Ecuador. She taught rock climbing and mountaineering for Outward Bound and led an all-women's expedition to the top of Denali in Alaska. In 1993, Erica helped found The Commons, a cohousing community in Santa Fe. She raised her son Barrett in this safe and happy environment. Known as the "Health Detective," she treats mysterious and difficult-to-diagnose illnesses at her clinic within The Commons. Erica is also a public speaker and has given workshops at various venues, including Esalen and Omega Institute. She is co-author of Prescriptions for a Healthy House. She blogs about medical insights and stories from her life at www.musingsmemoirandmedicine.com.