Children of the Ice (Signet) [Paperback]

Charlotte Prentiss (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet | Publication Date: December 1, 1993

It is 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age, when young Laena and her sister survive a tragedy that leaves their parents dead and marks their lives forever. In a world where mammoths roam, where nature's most fearful forces rage, and where fellow humans can pose a deadly threat, Laena relies on her incredible courage, strength, and intelligence to endure. This is Laena's story...the story of her seer-like visions of a world beyond that shapes her into a tribal leader in a society of arrogant men...the story of Laena's triumph as the Chosen One, only to be cast out into the wilderness with her husband and child. This epic saga of adventure, passion, and suspense follows the extraordinary Laena and her family on a great journey that take them from the vast Siberian tundra and the freezing darkness of the prehistoric past to the fiery dawn of breathtaking discovery - a new world, a new age, and a new dream of happiness...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although this tale of a young woman's adventures during the last Ice Age is insufficiently complex for older readers, adolescents may find it entertaining and thought provoking. After the Panther People are nearly decimated in a surprise attack by an enemy hunting party, 12-year-old Laena and her 8-year-old sister, Moru, strike out on their own. They are soon taken under the wing of Nan of No People, an elderly healer who travels from tribe to tribe and, she says, answers "to no one but myself." Laena, Moru and Nan find a haven with the Wolf Tribe, whom Nan has treated in the past, until danger compels them to move on. They find a new roost with the Fisher People, who recently lost their healer. As Laena matures, discovers her sexuality, learns the ways of her new tribe, marries and astonishes the Fishers with her desire to learn to hunt--the heretofore unquestioned privilege of men--she is haunted by dreams of a beautiful land that, she comes to believe, it is her destiny to discover. Since the pseudonymous Prentiss makes her points clearly, readers will easily see how Laena's courage and determination help her survive natural dangers and cope with patriarchal society.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-In the tradition of Jean Auel's books, the day-to-day details of prehistoric survival are brought to life in this coming-of-age novel. Laena matures from an unsettled teen to become the leader of the first humans to cross the Siberian-Alaskan land bridge. The attractive, eye-catching cover, the young woman's difficulties fitting in, and the nonstop action will make this book popular with YAs. They will feel the cold and the wind as the group climbs mountains and fords rivers, and will identify with the characters. A concluding chapter provides factual background.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (December 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451177924
• ISBN-13: 978-0451177926
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your average Indians coming to America novel, December 11, 2002

By 

Heather H. "Heather H." (New Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children of the Ice (Signet) (Paperback)

I would give this book six stars if I could, it has all of the stuff you want in a work of pre-history. In fact, I am suprised that there aren't any other reviews of it.
There is a heroine who after a horrific tragedy developes an iron will and a vision given to her by the White Panther of a new and wonderfull land that she will not let go for anyone or anything. It is this struggle that moves the story along at a fast clip, will anyone believe in her vision, will she find her parents in the new land, will anyone come with her, was it all just a childish dream...?
This book could really get six stars, it is that good. A must for any collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring favorite for over 15 years, October 6, 2010

By 

Scott Rose (Labrador, QLD, AU) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children of the Ice (Signet) (Paperback)

I first read this book upon its release in 1993 at the age of fifteen. At the time I had no idea this humble paperback would become my favorite book of all time, nor how much depth and influence the metaphorical meaning of Laena's story would have on my own life as I grew. The story of Laena, a young woman guided by visions in a turbulent era of pre-history crosses a perilous, mountainous wilderness to an amazing new land. The book is a fictionalized account of the first people who trekked from the vanished subcontinent of Beringia into North America via a land bridge that existed at the time.

Believe it or not, I've been reading this book once or twice a year for over fifteen years (this review has been written in 2010)! That's how much I love this book. I never tire of it because it speaks to a very deep part of me. You may not have the same experience, but surely it is worth one read at least! Charlotte Prentiss is actually author Charles Platt.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, July 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Children of the Ice (Signet) (Paperback)

I have read many prehistoric fiction books and found Charlotte
Prentiss to have written a wonderful series. This is the first
of three and the best in my opinion. I loved the main character.
She was a courageous woman of the ice age times.