Review: The Mystery of the Scroll by Ann Beltran

Two intellectual lovers with very different minds become tangled with the unexplained wonders of the universe in The Mystery of the Scroll by Ann Beltran, a heady ride through science, spirituality, and the unknowable past.

On his way to start working as a lab technician at the Smithsonian, Jeremiah stops by his old Joshua Tree stomping grounds during a cross-country trip with his anthropology PhD partner, Sunny. Returning to the site of an unforgettable discovery from his childhood, the pair uncover an inexplicable artifact: a rawhide pouch containing an impossible treasure from the past.

As they settle into their new lives and blossoming careers in D.C., Sunny begins to experience dreams and transcendental visions directly linked to the artifact, as though its spirit is speaking to her across the millennia. She begins to suspect that the relic is an access point to the Akashic records, while Jer looks for measurable explanations in radiocarbon dating and material scientific analysis. One considers their discovery as a career-making find, while the other sees it as a mystical gift to humanity, not an object to be poked, prodded, and preserved on a dusty museum shelf.

The timeless clash of hard and soft sciences is on full display, but the novel takes this classic binary a step further, going beyond empiricism vs spirituality into the realm of raw metaphysical theory. Given that these two are “a pair of opposites in their temperaments and psychology,” these diametrically opposed approaches are unsurprising, and generate a fascinating interplay of possibility and romantic tension.

The growing conflict of opinions and approaches between Jer and Sunny begins subtly – “Jer might know what skin he’s found, but she would know who brought it there. And likely why…” – but it doesn’t take long for the line to blur between academic debate and emotional divide. There is an impressive balance between a thrilling ancient mystery and the real-time evolution of the protagonists’ relationship, coupled with a growing sense that strange forces are somehow conspiring to tear them apart.

Readers are given a bird’s-eye view of this looming crisis through detailed, occasionally leading narration, with the prose weighed down at times by excess exposition. The author tends to elaborate on a relationship’s dynamics or nuanced history, robbing readers of those potential discoveries more subtly. That said, the story is fascinating, and diligent research is evident on nearly every page, from monologues on indigenous history to immersive flashbacks from a diverse range of ancient eras. The core suppositions of a turning point in prehistory could have been overly simplified, but the depth of description, symbolism, and visceral scene-crafting make these preternatural interludes a highlight of the novel.

On the technical side, there are some typos and improperly used words that suggest a cursory final proofread, while some of the expositional dialogue and tangential narration could be pared down. However, these rough edges are relatively infrequent, and Beltran weaves together a tremendously enriching story, positing timeless questions about humanity’s origins, spiritual existence, and the potency of belief.