The White Mare's Daughter (Epona) (Paperback)

by Judith Tarr (Author) "FROM FAR AWAY she heard them, echoing across the steppe: the drums beating, swift as a frightened heart..." (more)
Key Phrases: Three Birds, White Horse, Horse Goddess (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Culture clashes, war and goddess worship set the stage for Tarr's well rounded and lively prehistoric epic set in Eastern Europe circa 4500 B.C. Among the nomadic White Horse tribe, tomboyish Sarama is the servant of the White Mare, the incarnation of the Horse Goddess. Because of her station, Sarama is allowed freedom denied to women of the White Horse, but she never feels truly comfortable in the tribe. So when the Goddess wills her to seek out the legendary civilization where women are rumored to be kings, Sarama is relieved to follow her duty. Her quest brings her to the western land held by the Lady (another representation of the Goddess), a place that has never seen a man in power, a horseAor war. Sarama soon realizes that her destiny is to teach this peaceful society to fight against the inevitable advancement of the tribes. But she doesn't know that it will be her twin brother, Agni, who will lead the invasion. Tarr's skillful juxtaposition of two vastly different yet spiritually similar societies gives a sharp edge to this feminist epic. She focuses the plot on the personal struggles of Sarama, Agni and the Lady's people as they struggle to understand each other's cultures, and she delves into the implications of the societies' inescapable meetingAthe destruction of matriarchal society. Although the narrative is somewhat encumbered by frothy narration, Tarr's fully fleshed-out characters and solid, intricate plotting add depth to an entertaining saga.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
For her latest novel, Tarr (Queen of Swords, LJ 2/1/97) has created a prehistoric world peopled by fierce nomadic horsemen and peaceful Goddess-worshipping hunter-gatherers. Sarama and her twin brother, Agni, are members of a patriarchal tribe who inhabit the harsh steppes. Following the call of the Horse Goddess, Sarama leaves the steppes in search of a fabled land of plenty where women are the rulers. She meets Danu, son of one of the female leaders, and discovers that war and violence are unknown in his world. Can her civilization and his ever peacefully coexist? This well-written novel about loyalty, passion, and the search for understanding between different kinds of people showcases Tarr's ability to create fascinating, passionate characters and to bring their unique cultures to life. Highly recommended for all public libraries.ALaurel Bliss, New Haven, CT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (June 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312875568
• ISBN-13: 978-0312875565
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,061,512 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Go west, young girl...and do very little!, November 29, 2000

By	Annette Hrisko-Allen (pdx,usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Mare's Daughter (Hardcover)

I have never read a Judith Tarr novel before; but I had read good reviews of her other works, so I was looking forward to reading an entertaining, meaty epic.

I was very disappointed.

For one thing, there is no serious action going on until almost two hundred pages into the story. All I kept seeing was Sarama, daughter of the Chief of the White Horse People and newly made Servant of Horse Goddess, doing little more than trotting around on her white mare and thinking about how glad she was not to be like all the other women of the tribe: veiled, submissive, and permanently shut away in their tribal tents.

Once in a while, a hint would drop about Old Woman, the previous Priestes and Servant of the Mare who took the infant Sarama and trained her for succession; but there was absolutely no real information about Sarama's life with her. Tarr could have at least devoted one chapter to Sarama's actual upbringing with Old Woman.

Agni, Sarama's twin brother, was more interesting. At least Tarr took the time to develop him into a person. Sure, he's arrogant and short-sighted and thinks that being king is the ultimate calling; but at least he DOES something. The scenes where he captures and trains his own stallion are interesting. When he follows his sister westward, with every intention of subduing the matriarchal culture beyond the Great Wood, Agni actually has to think outside his tribal box and consider the political and strategic ramifications of his actions.

Anyone who has read Sjoo or Gimbutas will find the matriarchal cities very familiar. The women rule, the men serve, and to every query that anyone posits comes the reply: "the Lady wills it". I found that to be as annoying as any Fundementalist tract. The gods in this book (whether it is the Lady, Horse Goddess, or Skyfather) are just as removed as they are in "real life". I read about people worshipping their respective deities and, while the women in the Western cities may have felt some temporary bliss, it seemed to me that they were just going through the motions. There is a good scene where one of the characters relates to Agni about how the women would braid their hair to keep it out of the way. Soon, the fashion became tradition. That's how I viewed the spirituality in this book. The core of faith had long since faded and now it was all just a matter of procedure.

Anyway, I hope to read something better of Judith Tarr in the future.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some sort of meatiness, December 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: White Mare's Daughter (Hardcover)

Good writing, but I found it hard to stomach the male slave element (Beefy, dim-witted, beautiful, well-endowed and submissive men serving wise women) and the contrast between the advanced Goddess-lead society and the primitive society of raping savages that follow male gods? Simplistic and bizarre, too bad.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful novel, September 21, 2001

By A Customer

This is quite honestly one of the best books I have ever read. I have been reading Tarr for awhile now, and had dicovered that most of her novels are exactly the same, just in different time periods. But I read this one, and was blown away by it. Not only is it masterfully written, but it is completely unlike anything she has done. The power conveyef in her words is astonishing, and I grew to love the characters. Read this book, you will not regret it!!