John R. Dann, Song of the Earth

Song of the Earth

John R. Dann

Forge, Jan 2005, $26.95, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0765311933

Circa 30,000 BC (plus or minus a millennium or two as only word of mouth records handed down by generational storytellers exist) the Young Grae became a great chieftain due to Erida at his side (see SONG OF THE AXE). His father Eagle needed Flower and his grandfather Old Grae had the seven daughters of River Woman to aid him.

The seven sisters, sired by different men, were the only friends of the weird-looking and constantly-jabbering Old Grae when he was a child. Having learned to swim when their mom tossed them into the nearby river, the sisters saved Old Grae when a volcano destroyed their Eden and almost led to his drowning.

The tribe splinters with Old Grae taking one group with him that includes three of the magnificent seven (Spirit Dancer, mother to Eagle, Sun Hair, and Lilith) on an Exodus through the wilderness guided by spirits talking to him. As three consecutive generations wander northward, they battle with tyrannical tribes threatening their existence. Old Grae never sees the promised land, but his ancestry, the Tribe of Grae, continue the quest, seeking a land of milk and honey to call home.

This prequel is a terrific look at prehistorical society done with a biblical context. The storyline grips the reader who obtains a deep look at the wandering tribe's struggle to survive in a harsh environment. The biblical references add an odd, intriguing spin, but also slow down the action when enhanced by insightful anthropological concepts on wandering life in 30,000 BC. Still, fans will believe that Old Grae, his peers and his ancestors existed in ironically a well-written prehistory tale.

Harriet Klausner