Aba and Shamana - The Story of a Legend Begins by Cynthia L. Floriani

The story is set in a fictitious Middle Eastern region two thousand years ago. The tale begins with the arrival of a mysterious stranger to a goat herder’s campsite, who captivates a little girl named Alimud with a story about a giant donkey and his young mistress. The story is ultimately one of Love and Friendship between an unusual giant donkey named Aba that has preternatural abilities, which also includes having a very strong intuition unlike any other animal, and of Shamana his young mistress who, after the death of his mother Jenna, raises Aba from a gangly foal to become a mammoth donkey that reaches over two meters in height. Aba is often regarded as a beast, but his fearsome appearance belies his true gentle, golden hearted nature. Shamana herself is imbued with a Visionary gift which enables her to interpret through her vivid dreams other people’s destinies and fates. The story brings together two families through unusual circumstances, which over time forms the basis for their unbreakable bond to each other throughout their lives and shows that being a family does not necessarily require being blood related. Aba is set to experience great despair when he fails to protect the one he loves, which has tragic consequences. It is only through Shamana that Aba’s heart may find peace but for this to happen he must travel through the wilderness to find her again. This is the story of Aba, father of all donkeys!