A display for the novel “Bone Hash” is featured at the Boulder Book Store. (Satori Griffith/CU Independent)
Some protagonists barrel into adventure as though destiny has grabbed them by the collar, and Aideen Connor is one of them. In “Bone Hash,” Skye Griffith’s gripping debut novel, the archaeologist’s world is upended the moment she uncovers a startling pile of discarded bones at her dig site. What follows is a narrative that blends the precision of archaeology with the momentum of a mystery, propelling Conner through gunfire, accusations and the unearthing of her own buried wounds. As the investigation deepens, the novel reveals itself as not only a thriller but a story about resilience.
Griffith, an award-winning event producer and explorer of sun-scoured mesas, has orchestrated some 10,000 special events, including Denver’s first world championship and even a papal visit. Her life is rich with narrative possibility. Yet she insists her adventure into fiction “was much slower to develop” than anything her protagonist faces. She had previously written only in the practical registers of business grants, marketing copy and logistical briefs. Fiction, she said, “is a really different animal.” It required her to listen in new ways.
That listening began not in a conference room but on the Colorado Plateau, where Griffith conducted many years of exploration and research prior to writing her novel.
“While doing my research, my husband and I made camping and hiking trips to this area regularly. We kind of fell in love with the Colorado Plateau. The beauty there is unique and unusual compared to anywhere else I’ve been,” Griffith said.
Author Skye Griffith signs copies of her novel “Bone Hash” during a book signing at the Boulder Book Store on Nov. 12. (Satori Griffith/CU Independent)
On Nov. 12, Griffith read from her first chapter during a book signing at Boulder Bookstore, nestled between shelves in the long-standing community landmark. Right from the opening pages – a dust devil spiraling through a motel courtyard in Tuba City; a forgotten photograph of a Hopi girl; a menacing stranger demanding its return – the novel announces its layered terrain.
Boulder Bookstore, founded in 1973, has long been a gathering place for readers and writers in the community. Its commitment to hosting authors like Griffith reflects a role that reaches well beyond retail.
“This is an amazing bookstore. I hope when you want to buy a book, you’ll come up here and buy it here. It’s independent, and frankly, independent bookstores really help avoid censorship,” Griffith said.
Laine Zizka, a former Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Boulder and current staff member at the store, echoed that sense of purpose. “I do think the Boulder Bookstore has been kind of a fixture of the older community for so long. And not only does it provide a wonderful meeting space for the Boulder community and local authors, we get so many local authors there, but I think it likes to cultivate new readers as well,” she said.
Taken together, their comments highlight what events like Griffith’s bring to the local literary landscape. They reinforce the relationship between the writers who create stories and the readers who sustain them.
During the signing, Griffith opened the floor to audience questions. One attendee asked how she shaped the bravery of Aideen Connors.
“You know, I produced 10,000 events in a lot of years, and you have to be brave,” Griffith said. “I think Aideen rises to being brave because she has to, she wouldn’t have a choice…I think we just have more greatness in us than we realize.”
The world of “Bone Hash” grows out of Griffith’s long-standing interest in archaeology and the prehistoric Native peoples of the Southwest. Her research brought her through Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Hovenweep, and parts of the Hopi reservation, and that attention to place gives the novel an authenticity that reaches beyond its landscape. Griffith engages with challenging historical questions, including scientific evidence related to cannibalism and drought, and she does so with deliberate care, emphasizing respect and cultural sensitivity. Her protagonist mirrors that approach: she responds to the archaeological discovery not with sensationalism, but with an understanding of professional responsibility and ethical obligation.
“Bone Hash” succeeds not only as a mystery but as a literary excavation of identity and history. Its prose is anchored in Griffith’s research, and her immersion in archaeological study resonates through the narrative. The novel operates with the momentum of a true page-turner, inviting even readers who might not typically be drawn to historical or archaeological material to engage through the tension and thematic depth of Griffith’s storytelling.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Satori Griffith at satori.griffith@colorado.edu
