The Boy-James Strauss

The Boy
James Strauss
Five Star, Apr 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594148132

Something felt wrong and woke the Boy up while the rest of the tribe slept. He began running partly out of fear and partly to know what is happening. When the earth moved, the Boy is fortunate to have survived on an island that has sprung up in the middle of a river where no island or water had been. On the island the Boy meets an injured Mur (Mastodon) he names Murgatroyd. They get off island, but his tribe is battered by the phenomena none understand and his failure to come back make them accuse him of cowardice ignoring his explanation. He is a pariah without rights; only his ten summers keep him from exile.

The Boy does chores when ordered. Most of the time, he is free to be by himself to explore and invent. He finds a strange place with a human statue finely carved and where metal exists. The Boy befriends the other tribe outsider, the cripple Nado who has a useless a hand so can never be a warrior. Together they share adventures and are adopted by a strange bird. The Boy calling himself Daryl wants the Shaman’s daughter Parlan as his wife, but has no chance as he is a nonentity even though she as the tallest female towering over many males combined with her father’s position will limit those asking for her.

The first mastodon tale is an exciting prehistoric thriller that paints an intriguing tribal culture. Boy’s wise mother explains that group truth is not necessarily an individual’s truth; as what happened is outside the knowledge and lore of the tribe so the clan must find a way to make it fit even when that ignores the person who most knows the facts. The story line is engaging, but mostly sets up the future tales in what looks like it might be an alternate history based on what the Boy found. Fans will appreciate James Strauss’ interesting opener that and look forward to the sequels in what should prove an entertaining saga, 25000 BC.

Harriet Klausner