DAUGHTER OF THE RED DEER

Reviewed by Denise Blank in the Dutton Booklist, October 1991.

Traversing into prehistory, Wolf creates a quick-moving, enchanting tale of Cro-Magnon culture in the Pyrenees, which holds a powerful modem message concerning the battle of the sexes and the masculine/feminine faces of God. Alin, the Chosen One of the matriarchal tribe of the Red Deer, is part of a group kidnapped by Mar, son of a murdered chief, in his desperate attempt to replenish the women of the patriarchal Horse tribe after a poisoned watering hole takes their lives. Men of the Horse little expect women to question and insult them, let alone hunt with them. Red Deer women are surprised to learn of arts defunct in their own tribe (sewing, drawing), and to find that, once in a while, it’s nice to depend on someone. How Alin reintroduces Earth Mother to her new society, and how Mar leads her to discover the profound joy of love are all complicated when the Red Deer trace their women and demand their return. The resolutions perhaps indicate that our present-day quest for comradeship and spiritual fulfillment needs a different approach. An excellent choice for readers who want exciting epic without the Micheneresque qualities.

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