This novel was published in 1981, one of H.M. (Helen Mary) Hoover's early excellent books (like This Time of Darkness). It makes me sad that her books seem to have gone out of print. Our local library used to have several of them in the children's and teen section and every one has now been purged. In fact there are none in our entire county system. Hoover's books that I have read seem to have a strong nature element to them, feature women and men working well together, and like this novel, the two main characters are both women.

This story is about two cultures meeting each other after a separation of 500 years. A small population had colonized a planet but the records did not show that - only an expedition, and we have a couple mysteries to puzzle out. When a new expedition arrives both sides are surprised to discover each other. The interpersonal relationships and strong characters made this a very enjoyable read. ( )

Kind of a compressed environmental-message story about an advanced society finding a lost colony that has gone native and the clash of cultures between a typical sterile, technology-driven future Earth and the nature-loving natives. The concept is a bit cliche nowadays, and so risks feeling dated, but as an intermediary book, I think it sets up a nice moral conflict for kids to think about.