The Faraway Lurs

by Harry Behn

The first love between a gentle girl of the Forest People and the chief's son of a warrior tribe of pastoralists is the theme of this evocative, haunting story set in prehistoric times of the Bronze Age.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy, Ancient, Childrens

190 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good story for the new-to-novels reading group, with a plot that’s easy enough to follow and characters and plot that a reader can care about.

However, I would be interested to see this concept carried out today with new research added in. The whole story was written in the 1963, built around an archeological find from 1921.

While there is still a lot we don’t know about the Bronze Age, The past 50 years have brought new discoveries which I feel could be used to depict a much more three dimensional world.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as a teenager and have never forgotten it. Lovely but sad love story.

[Elizabeth Crook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure if this is the edition I read back in the sixties or early seventies, or if that matters, but I loved the story then and loved it again a few months ago when my twelve yr old and I read it aloud together. The opening especially--which describes the discovery of the grave-- is intriguing, and the story captivates. This is well-written historical fiction especially of interest to young girls.

[Eileen Holshouser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it repeatedly when I was a girl. I borrowed it from my school library, over and over. I just bought an old copy for myself recently and have shared it with my students as a reading tutor. The girls love the story. I wish it could be reprinted.

[Elizabeth Ferry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this years and years ago and I apologize to my sister because I think I still have the book somewhere in my disorganized belongings and the book belongs to her. Whenever I find it, Kathleen, I will return it to you. I'm sure Charlotte would enjoy it as well!!

[Leahwthompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The explanation of the inspiration for the story the author gives in the introduction of this book is fascinating. Simply written, but a really great story.

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember so many of my friends reading and loving this book when we were in grade school; I remember also reading it but hating it. I could not quite remember why I hated it. Re-reading as an adult, it took awhile for me to re-discover the hatred -- but sure enough: I do dislike this book very much. Gratuitous dog murder, gratuitous sexism, gratuitous racism and child abuse. It's all very horrifying and unpleasant and ultimately abandons the reader to hopeless despair. For a book that seems to intend to make the distant past come alive for young readers, it seems very alienating. I could not recommend it.

[Susan (the other Susan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for young children, but a lovely, sad romance for a girl who's ready to read historical fiction with a dark theme.

[Lisa Bieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over 50 years ago and still think about it occasionally. Excellent as I remember it.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One I read in pre-adolescence and it has stuck with me ever since.

[Olda B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a young teenager and it moved me deeply. When I was in college I learned more about the two clashing cultures which Harry Behn depicts. Heather was based upon a real sun priestess who died and had an elite burial in Denmark from 1370 BC. The little girl Buzz was cremated to be Heather's servant in the afterlife. The ease with which Heather (in the book) accepts her fate is typical of many people, so unlike the poet who proclaims: DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD-NIGHT! Read this book and you will gain some understanding of life as it is really lived in a culture that allows any kind of slaughter as a normal happening. Whatever culture or secret society did 911 has that kind of mindset, and is not fit to rule because they are mass murderers.

[Lucey Hanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 15 and it fascinated me. It is an imaginative re-creation of the Egtved Girl's death and that of her little girl slave. The book is horrifying but moving. In reality only the little girl slave was a human sacrifice and realizing that the little girl was murdered to benefit the Egtved priestess in her afterlife is very horrifying..Three thousand years ago, but that is only about one hundred generations, as Harry Behn reminds us.

[Sunny Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was 10 and loved it. It gave me a lifelong love for Archaeology. The plot may be a little dark for kids under 12 but I survived it. I recommend it to any parent wanting to expose a child to learning to find an interest in the past.

[Renee Kayser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a teenager and found it on my book shelf. A lot like Romeo and Juliet. It was a great read for the teen scene. Not for an older person.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this so many times over the years, including as an adult. Read it!

[Noel Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

book #14 of 2022: The Faraway Lurs (pub. 1963) by American screenwriter and children's author Harry Behn. I read this book as a pre-teen/teenager and it always stuck with me. the farther I got from the time I read it, the more I wondered about it, so I finally reread it to see why it haunted me. turns out it’s speculative fiction about a couple of ancient societies in microcosm. I’m not certain how much effort went into the anthropological and natural detail, but it felt pretty thought through. I’m a bit impressed that I’d gotten my hands on something that wasn’t pulp in the seemingly unending years of unguided reading in my youth and assume some kind, bookish person may’ve steered me towards this one. I have some more serious non-fictions ahead of me, so I’m kind of gently prepping for that. there is one other book from my childhood that I hope to return to at some point soonish. but this was a delightful read and it’s good to know that not only was there YA when I was a kid, but that it was, at least in this case, actually pretty good.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this when I was ten or eleven. LOVED it. Probably one of two or three I read around the same time that spurred my interest in history. Darker than most YA books (of its time -- I know, I know, YA has gone very very dark and gritty lately, which I think is sort of a pity; don't we all grow up too fast anyway? but I digress) but in a stone age Romeo and Juliet sort of way. Two thumbs up.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a definite pleasure to finally read this again, although as an adult I found the plot and motivations more perplexing than I did as a teen. Worth it all for the images, especially the ending, the creepy beauty of which has stuck with me for decades after most of the rest of the book had faded.

[Adam D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this delightful book on a Saturday morning with a few cups of coffee. It's an engaging tale that is well-told and--despite the unapologetic borrowing of Shakespeare's most famous plot--it's quite unique.