People of the Mesa

by Charlotte Prentiss

Die Eiszeit ist vorüber, die Sonne läßt Gletscher schmelzen, und dort, wo bisher Frost und Tod regierten, bringt die Erde wie durch ein Wunder plötzlich zartes Grün in vielfältigster Form hervor.

Mara - die Tochter der Sonne, ist ein Kind dieser neuen Welt, und sie hat die Vision, daß die Strahlen der großen gelben Scheibe auch die Herzen der Menschen erwärmen und kalte Grausamkeit und Haß daraus vertreiben werden.

Doch die Wirklichkeit sieht anders aus. Ternee schimpft ihre Tochter eine nutzlose Träumerin, und Kormor, der Mann, den Mara sich erwählt hat, zeigt ihr schon bald, daß ihr Platz nicht an seiner Seite, sondern zu seinen Füßen ist. Verzweifelt fügt sich Mara in ihr Leid - bis zu dem Tag, an dem nicht nur ihr Leben, sondern das Heil des ganzen Stammes auf dem Spiel steht. Da geht Mara mutig den Weg, den die Götter ihr weisen...

Genres: Prehistoric, Fantasy, Prehistory, Fiction, Historical Fiction

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

Charlotte Prentiss is a pseudonym of Charles Platt

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

People of the Mesa was not nearly as good as Prentiss' first book, Children of the Ice. It's possible that I'm sick of reading Native American pre-history books with a strong female as the protagonist- however, even though it has been a bit repetative, I don't think that's the case here. I simply didn't care at all for Mara. I felt she was selfish, impulsive, rude, and uncaring. She cared nothing for the tribe's traditions and did exactly what she wanted, even though she was the daughter of the chief and was supposed to set a good example for others. She married someone very strong willed, and was angry when she couldn't control him and keep him in his place. Yes, she did end up saving her people in the end and prevailing, but, for me, that didn't make up for her poor attitude and selfish ways. Graum was almost too evil to be real, and that aggravated me as well. As always, the setting was interesting and informative, and I learned a good deal, but the book still seemed to drag along in parts, and I had to take breaks from it. Maybe the next book will be better?

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique read. It tells the story of a peaceful matriarchal North American tribe about 10,000 years ago that is taken over by violent patriarchal men from the North. They, too, become violent in an effort to protect themselves. The new female is not always likable because she is willing to do whatever is necessary to survive.

[Brian Carrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

[Nik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I'm absolutely LOVE Children of the Ice it's my favorite book by this author and it's the only reason I sought out all the other works. I like the idea of a strong female protagonist in a male dominated world and I also like delving into the worlds and customs of these ancient civilizations. What I found most off putting about this story was Mara herself, what an asshole! No wonder no one wanted to follow her, she was basically a toddler throwing tantrums when she didn't get her way. She had no objectivity, no foresight, she was just really grating. The lesbian love story... not the greatest. I'd watch it in movie form *wink nods* (Lesbians on the Plains, yummy) but it didn't work in this book and if you must throw it in at least give me some full frontal. Even the ending left me wanting...just more.

[Guna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an well-written American pre-history novel. It begins with a matriarchal tribe in what is today Idaho. An evil man from the north comes in one winter day, and changes the lives of this peaceful group of people. The story of how they deal with him ensues. This novel kept my interest much better than most other prehistory novels I have read.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although good not as good as Children of Ice it was a quick read. This one spent more time like I thought the first would be. A coming of age story about a teen who is unhappy and tries to make herself happy by not listening to others. Although the end was very satisfying it still left me wanting a more fulfilling ending. ready for the next one.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and unbelievable. Worth a read if you enjoy this type of book.