Dar and the Spear-Thrower

Dar will soon receive his manmarks at an initiation ceremony in the sacred painted cave. He longs to be considered an adult, but fears that he’s neither tall nor strong enough to be a competent hunter. While emptying traps, Dar meets a stranger and becomes intrigued with his spear-thrower, an extension of a spear that makes the throw more powerful and of greater length than own thrown without it. Believing that a spear-thrower will enable him to be a great hunter sends him on a dangerous journey into unknown territory. Dar’s understanding of what it means to be a man deepens as he pursues his quest. He returns to his clan with the spear-thrower, new skills, and a stronger sense of kinship with his family.

Dar lived fifteen thousand years ago in southern France, a time of great creativity. The spear-thrower, a device that enabled a hunter to throw with greater power, was invented during this period. Dar’s passion to possess a spear-thrower sends him on a dangerous journey into unknown territory. His understanding of what it means to be a man deepens as he pursues his quest.

Marjorie Cowley presents life during the Ice Age with an immediacy and excitement that are totally believable and satisfying.