The Foretelling

The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman is the YA story of Rain, born of rape and shunned by her mother, the Queen of the Amazons. As the Queen’s daughter, she is destined to be the next Queen and so her life is one of strenuous training. The Amazons are superb horsewomen and warriors and Rain feels that she must be the best of them all. But even as she trains to ride, shoot and kill, she still feels unaccepted and alone. She has doubts as to whether she is meant to be the queen and when her mother gets pregnant, Rain is sure this new child will grow to take her place. She is also finding that her feelings toward her enemies is changing, she should be merciless and bloodthirsty but she finds that she feels pity for her enemies and during show more battle she is shocked to find herself giving mercy to men.

This was an excellent coming-of-age story as Rain questions her destiny and tries to interpret her prophecy with the help of the high priestess. She eventually understands what the future should hold for her and chooses to defy tradition. The author captures the primitive yet spiritual rhythms of the Amazons and instead of a straight forward novel, the book reads like a series of impressions as Rain grows and becomes a woman of strength and character. The Foretelling is a moving mythological story that is beautifully written, and although I found the characters fairly one dimensional, the author’s alluring imagery was a joy to read. show less

Reminiscent of some of Ursula K. Le Guin's shorter works, this fantasy reads something like an extended legend moreso than a novel. It took some time to get started, unlike the other work I've read from Hoffman, but the narrator's soft and poetic voice ended up gaining momentum after a few chapters, when there was less exposition and more straightforward story-telling. And, for fans of story-telling and the old-fashioned feel that can come from a single narrator delivering a story with ease and scant details, this book will be a real find.

The characters are rendered beautifully, and the story itself is original and well-paced. After the exposition leads into the story, you can't help but be sucked into the world of the tale, and it's show more well worth the journey. This is a quick read, and one which wavers between dark fiction for a young adult and an adult's simply told fantasy, but I think it will be an ideal find for many readers. show less

The Foretelling is Alice Hoffman’s fourth book for young readers, and what a great tale it is. Rain, the female hero, is a young Amazon princess who was born to Alina, Queen of the legendary Amazon warriors. She is destined to become the Queen of the Amazons, as told in the prophecies of her people. Told in spare, gorgeous way, we learn that Rain is raised by the other women of the tribe, her mother unable to be close to her as Rain is the child of a violent rape. Rain, like all girls of her tribe, is raised on mare’s milk (female horse) and nurtured with the strength of the warriors. She is a girl given to dark dreams and strange longings.
Rain is determined to win her mother’s love and become the best Amazon warrior there is. show more She practices constantly on her horse, learning tricks and becoming so one with it that she exceeds even Amazonian expectations. None of what she does wins her the love she craves though, and Rain grows up always feeling a bit different and alone. She must find her place within the tribe and become a Queen in her own right, and bring about a very different future for her people. This story is remarkable in its ability to bring a legendary and little-known culture to life. Alice Hoffman’s Amazons are larger than life, but very real and multi-dimensional. Rain’s quest to find herself and her place in the midst of war, turmoil and treachery is astounding and quite wonderful. It’s such an eloquent, believable and poetic story. I definetly recommend it! show less

This coming-of-age story tells of a girl born as a result of a gang rape of the Queen of a tribe of women warriors. She is named Rain because she is born as a result of sorrow. The story is told in the first-person as she trains to be a warrior. Her mother completely ignores her, so she gains wisdom from the tribe priestess and warrior skills from the skilled warriors. When she begins dreaming of a Black Horse, usually associated with death, she starts to worry about her future and the future of the tribe. Over the years the priestess does a series of castings to help interpret this foretelling. Rain must interpret the castings and figure out what she must do with her life as warrior, daughter and Queen-to-be. Life is stark and harsh. A show more wonderful story of finding your place in life. show less

I am kind of under the impression that this book was marketed as a children's book, but really it is more appropriate for a young adult. I don't think mean appropriate regarding content, although I definitely think that some parts would go over a kids head, but I think it would be more interesting for a teen girl. This is the story of Rain, a product of the rape of the Queen of the Amazons. Because of the circumstances of her birth, her mother doesn't acknowledge her the way other mothers in the tribe acknowledge their children. The book tells the story of her life and how she grows and changes into the queen of the amazons. The writing style is almost poetic in a way and I was just completely caught up in the story. It's a quick read show more it gives a plausible story for how the amazons might have lived. show less

I am kind of under the impression that this book was marketed as a children's book, but really it is more appropriate for a young adult. I don't think mean appropriate regarding content, although I definitely think that some parts would go over a kids head, but I think it would be more interesting for a teen girl. This is the story of Rain, a product of the rape of the Queen of the Amazons. Because of the circumstances of her birth, her mother doesn't acknowledge her the way other mothers in the tribe acknowledge their children. The book tells the story of her life and how she grows and changes into the queen of the amazons. The writing style is almost poetic in a way and I was just completely caught up in the story. It's a quick read show more it gives a plausible story for how the amazons might have lived. show less

I am kind of under the impression that this book was marketed as a children's book, but really it is more appropriate for a young adult. I don't think mean appropriate regarding content, although I definitely think that some parts would go over a kids head, but I think it would be more interesting for a teen girl. This is the story of Rain, a product of the rape of the Queen of the Amazons. Because of the circumstances of her birth, her mother doesn't acknowledge her the way other mothers in the tribe acknowledge their children. The book tells the story of her life and how she grows and changes into the queen of the amazons. The writing style is almost poetic in a way and I was just completely caught up in the story. It's a quick read show more it gives a plausible story for how the amazons might have lived. show less