Not a trace is found of celebrated arcaeologist Melville Dutton, who mysteriously vanished in the trackless jungles of Central America. His quest--the greatest of Maya ruins--the lost Jaguar City. Hope for the survival of the charismatic explorer is eventually abandoned. Only his daughter, Liz, tormented by a recurring nightmare, steadfastly believes that her father is alive.On a snowy Thanksgiving in her grandparents' New England farmhouse, Liz is entranced by a portrait of her ancestor--a breathtakingly beautiful teen-age girl. The haunting picture, painted in 1803, seems to glow with an indefinable magic. Flames dance wildly in the old stone fireplace... heatwaves shimmer... definition is obscurred... then---Holly Hobbie. Is this intelligent, graceful young girl in colonial dress another of Liz's dreams? Or the portrait come to life?The author takes us along with Holly and Liz on a fascinating odyssey triggered by scattered clues--the snarling jaguar pendant, Dutton's last jungle diaries, cryptic Maya inscriptions--all crucial in linking their destiny with that of Mel Dutton.--Excerpt of book jacket description.