Ratha's Challenge: The Fourth Book of the Named - Softcover

Bell, Clare

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142409154 ISBN 13: 9780142409152

Publisher: Firebird, 2007

Synopsis

An encounter with a group of unusual cats helps bring Ratha, leader of the prehistoric cat clan called the Named, and her estranged daughter, Thistle, to a better understanding of each other. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author

Clare Bell lives in Patterson, California.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up?When a tribe of prehistoric sentient cats face challenges to survival, their leader, the female Ratha, hopes to domesticate the tusked and shaggy face-tails, mammothlike creatures, to insure a steady food supply. However, another tribe of cats stands in the way. What baffles Ratha is that these felines are like none she has ever encountered. They appear to be intelligent, like her own clan, and yet they do not think for themselves; instead, they act as a group, wordlessly connected to some central mind. Should she attack them? Retreat? Although Ratha herself cannot connect with these eerie others, it is her damaged daughter, Thistle, who finds a way to bridge the gap between the two societies. In this fourth volume of the series, Bell continues to explore themes of culture, politics, individuation, and family relations, all through the eyes of a riveting set of characters. Readers who have already come to care for Ratha and Thistle will be swept into this new confrontation that brings the strained relations between the commanding Ratha and her outsider daughter to a dramatic climax. Those new to the series may be caught short by the awkward re-capitulation of the earlier books, which mars the opening chapters. But those who like fantasy or cats will fall under the spell of the vivid descriptions of their society, life on the veldt, and the struggle of a daughter to grow up, despite the damage done to her in early childhood. Adults may be the most able to appreciate Ratha herself, a guilt-ridden mother who must learn to love and let go.?Carolyn Polese, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Firebird
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0142409154
• ISBN 13: 9780142409152
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272