The inscriptions found on the various artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization hold in their hearts hidden chronicles of time. Many unsolved mysteries remain regarding who were these people, how did they suddenly build such an advanced civilization, how were their lives like, how much did they interact with their neighboring cultures, and where did they suddenly vanish.

One of the most ancient and advanced civilizations, it mysteriously seems to have disappeared almost suddenly, and that too without any trace. Will the study of the script used by this civilization reveal any clue to these puzzles? Will it help us unravel these ancient mysteries? Finally and most importantly, will a study of the Indus Valley script help us in gaining more knowledge about the ancient world?

Long before environmental consciousness became popular, a young nature writer named Opal Whiteley captured America's heart. Opal's childhood diary, published in 1902, became an immediate bestseller, one of the most talked-about books of its time.

Wistful, funny, and wise, it was described by an admirer as the revelation of the life of a feminine Peter Pan of the Oregon wilderness—so innocent, so intimate, so haunting, that I should not know where in all literature to look for a counterpart.

But the diary soon fell into disgrace. Condemning it as an adult-written hoax, skeptics stirred a scandal that drove the book into obscurity and shattered the frail spirit of its author.

Discovering the diary by chance, bestselling author Benjamin Hoff set out to solve the longstanding mystery of its origin. His biography of Opal that accompanies the diary provides fascinating proof that the document is indeed authentic—the work of a magically gifted child, America's forgotten interpreter of nature.