In Maya Roads, McConahay draws upon her three decades of traveling and living in Central America's remote landscapes to create a fascinating chronicle of the people, politics, archaeology, and species of the Central American rainforest, the cradle of Maya civilization. Captivated by the magnificence and mystery of the jungle, the author brings to life the intense beauty, the fantastic locales, the ancient ruins, and the horrific violence. She witnesses archaeological discoveries, the transformation of the Lacandon people, the Zapatista indigenous uprising in Mexico, increased drug trafficking, and assists in the uncovering of a war crime. Over the decades, McConahay has witnessed great changes in the region, and this is a unique tale of a woman's adventure and the adaptation and resolve of a people.

Mary Jo McConahay is a journalist who began covering Guatemala and Central America as a correspondent in the 1980s. Her work has appeared in more than 30 magazines and periodicals, including Rolling Stone, the San Francisco Chronicle, Time, and Vogue, and is collected in half a dozen books, including El Salvador in the New Cold War and True to Life Adventure Stories by 11 Women. She lives in San Francisco.