In a time some 25,000 years ago, a small tribe located in a primal valley attempts to survive the many threats from the catastrophes of geological upheavals, where survival is wrested from the elements and life is to endure starvation. The perspective of this sweeping adventure is told from that of a young boy. The hard-learned lessons of life provide a romance of epic proportions in which `The Boy' fights for love and acceptance, while overcoming seemingly insurmountable tribal beliefs. Terrifying and beautiful, in a world full of cataclysmic change, prehistoric man and animals learn to accept and trust one another. Through these trials `The Boy' develops a sense of reason and respect for others which is founded on friendship and trust, rather than fear. At the turning of the last Ice Age, old tribal beliefs and customs are shorn from their fabric as homo sapiens evolve from the last vestiges of primitive man. The first novel of the five-novel series establishes a benchmark for tracing the beginnings of the meteoric rise of the homo sapiens species from their lowly beginnings to their eventual dominance over the planet.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Set in pre-historic times, where historians experience discomfort, The Boy, by James Strauss, surprises and rewards both historians and readers. The author blends science and myth, using his hyper-imagination to introduce a tale of power, authority, and traditional values. His themes are universal and timeless. His treatment is highly original. This historian eagerly awaits the arrival of Book II, The Warrior." - --Barry Machado, Ph.D Professor Emeritus, Washington and Lee. In Search of a Usable Past: The Marshall Plan and Postwar Reconstruction Today by Barry Machado. Lexington, VA: George C. Marshall Foundation, 2007.
From the Author
I write about the human condition. The interaction that occurs throughout social systems, among elemental forces of leadership, religion and science. I write about the individual's attempted integration into such social systems and attempt to define honor, integrity and duty, while I develop my stories. Pre-history points us back, in search and thought of our origins, so that we may better understand how and why we are driven to do the things that we do. Espionage allows for the development of those 'secret' sides of our honest intent, layered with conflicting assaults by interior and exterior forces. My novels area about self-determination and self-discovery. They are about arrival. The arrival and satisfaction of a blissful state from which one can intelligently reflect and then positively direct one's life. The meaning of life is all around us and ever changing, depending upon the perspective of others. I write about the meaning of self, and self-application to the meaning of life.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
entertaining saga, 25000 BC,
This review is from: The Boy, The Mastodons, Book I (Hardcover)
Something felt wrong and woke the Boy up while the rest of the tribe slept. He began running partly out of fear and partly to know what is happening. When the earth moved, the Boy is fortunate to have survived on an island that has sprung up in the middle of a river where no island or water had been. On the island the Boy meets an injured Mur (Mastodon) he names Murgatroyd. They get off island, but his tribe is battered by the phenomena none understand and his failure to come back make them accuse him of cowardice ignoring his explanation. He is a pariah without rights; only his ten summers keep him from exile.
The Boy does chores when ordered. Most of the time, he is free to be by himself to explore and invent. He finds a strange place with a human statue finely carved and where metal exists. The Boy befriends the other tribe outsider, the cripple Nado who has a useless a hand so can never be a warrior. Together they share adventures and are adopted by a strange bird. The Boy calling himself Daryl wants the Shaman's daughter Parlan as his wife, but has no chance as he is a nonentity even though she as the tallest female towering over many males combined with her father's position will limit those asking for her. The first mastodon tale is an exciting prehistoric thriller that paints an intriguing tribal culture. Boy's wise mother explains that group truth is not necessarily an individual's truth; as what happened is outside the knowledge and lore of the tribe so the clan must find a way to make it fit even when that ignores the person who most knows the facts. The story line is engaging, but mostly sets up the future tales in what looks like it might be an alternate history based on what the Boy found. Fans will appreciate James Strauss' interesting opener that and look forward to the sequels in what should prove an entertaining saga, 25000 BC. Harriet Klausner
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
archeological novel,
By Paul Yih (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin US) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Boy, The Mastodons, Book I (Hardcover)
This was a realistic and exciting journey into the past.....the way past that we can barely imagine..early man still within evolutionary stages...(we may still be there!)...Jim Strauss builds the scene and the character of early humanity, families and experiences that we can still relate to in our lives today. The book is so enjoyable, I read it in two
sittings. Well written, imaginative, realistic..definitely read it. Kathleen Eddy Yih
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great prehistoric fiction,
This review is from: The Boy, The Mastodons, Book I (Hardcover)
If you enjoy prehistoric fiction but feel embarrassed by the lurid details in Clan of the Cavebear and its imitators, then this one is for you. Great detail, characters you can feel for, and a fine adventuring story.
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