Heart of a Jaguar [Hardcover]

Marc Talbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

When a severe drought threatens a Mayan village, Balam, on the brink of manhood, kills a jaguar as an offering to the gods, but the village elders believe that only a human sacrifice will appease the gods.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's no mean feat to devise a gripping yet unsentimental tale about a 13th-century Mayan youth who agrees to have his heart ripped out in a sacrificial rite. Talbert (Dead Birds Singing; A Sunburned Prayer), however, rises to the challenge: he creates a resonant coming-of-age story while respectfully illuminating a culture that, to modern eyes, at first appears remote and barbarous. Severe drought is threatening the denizens of the forest on the Yucatan Peninsula, among them the tribe of Balam, the protagonist. At 14, Balam is anxious to prove his manhood and move into the palapa, or hut, provided for the tribe's bachelors. But there are more pressing concerns: a neighboring tribe kidnaps Balam's betrothed and later steals his family's sacred maize. Balam tags along when the bachelors set out on a retaliatory raid, but gets lost in the forest, where a nighttime encounter with a jaguar marks him as a man at last-and as the only person whose death will appease the gods and the rival tribe. Graphic descriptions of ceremonial bloodletting and other grisly rites, though matter-of-fact, reserve this vividly realized and well-researched novel for non-squeamish readers only. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?Talbert sets Heart of a Jaguar in the period just after the time when the great Mayan city Chichen Itza was deserted by its populace. It is the story of Balam, a 14-year-old boy on the verge of manhood, and the struggle of his family and village to cope with a protracted drought. Lack of rainfall has caused the village leaders to invoke the gods in every sacred ritual they know. Richly described details of daily life, including clearing ground for planting, hunting, and especially the relationships between men and women and between children and adults, will give readers insight into Mayan culture. The author immerses himself in Balam's thoughts and dreams, and squarely faces the issues of bloodletting and human sacrifice, revealing them within the totality of the culture and the Mayan understanding of the universe. A fascinating and worthwhile read.?David N. Pauli, Missoula Public Library, MT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Athenum (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068980282X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689802829
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,812,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Heart of a Jaguar review, November 3, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Heart of a Jaguar (Hardcover)

I thought that the book was not the best I have EVER read, it was NOT a book I would recommend to people and that I would like to read again. I don't recommend it because it is VERY graphic in details about sacraficing. The ending was my favorite part was the ending. If you want to know something about the Maya

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Heart of a Jaguar, November 3, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Heart of a Jaguar (Hardcover)

The Heart of the Jaguar was a very graphic novel with many gruesome and sometimes racy parts. Otherwise it was very realistic and gave you and omnipresent view of what it was really like in the Mayan culture. I like the plot a lot, and it hooked me and kept me wanting to read it more and more. The story was somewhat sad, when people were killed and or just died. I enjoyed this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars lala, November 3, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Heart of a Jaguar (Hardcover)

I think that this was a really cool book, but I don't think it's my favorite. I don't mind the gore or gruesome details, and it's a realistic story that could help people get a perspective of the everyday Maya civilazation. I learned a lot of new mayan word like palapa, milpa, cha'chac. I'm glad I read and learned from this book.