Ember From the Sun

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Summary: A "Reverse Clan of the Cave Bear"
Review: "Ember From the Sun" is a worthy first effort, and Canter has obviously done at least some research on this subject. He is especially good in his characterization of Ember growing up. This is the section where the inevitable comparisons to "Clan of the Cave Bear" are likely to be made. He is also good in showing some of the difficulties faced by Alaskan natives who are trying to fit themselves into modern society, and he suggests that these may create ecosystem difficulties. My principal criticism of the book is that in a sense it is really two books, one about Ember, which could have made a fascinating series, and another about the Alaskan natives, which also could have made a series. I hope Canter will tell us more about one or the other, or both of them in the future

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Summary: One of the worse books I've ever read
Review: 'Ember From the Sun' by Mark Canter has a very interesting plot however the book falls very short in character development. The book reads as if its only purpose is to explain a scientific possibility. The story is very contrived and the characters are cardboard cutouts. I am sorry I wasted my time on this book

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Summary: Scientific Plausibility in EMBER FROM THE SUN
Review: A lack of credible science is a problem with most Neanderthal-among-us stories. Such plots typically begin with resurrecting an ancient corpse found frozen in glacial ice. This is simply not possible. Aside from the minor technical difficulty of reviving the dead, there is the fact that freezing wrecks cellular tissue: While it's true that hard-frozen flesh won't rot, under a microscope the cells are an exploded mess. In modern fertility clinics human embryos are frozen only after being combined with cryoprotectants like dimethylsulfoxide and propolene glycol, which cross cell walls and act as antifreeze to prevent the formation of ice crystals which burst cell membranes or destroy the tiny structures of the cytoplasm. Frozen in this manner, as far as scientists know, human embryos will last indefinitely, and according to an article in The Atlantic, about 60 percent of these embryos survive the process of freezing (in liquid hydrogen) and thawing. "Frozen embryos, unlike those in a uterus or a laboratory culture, are not fully alive...nor are they exactly dead, because more than half of them can return to life when thawed. In the future, fresh embryos may not be used at all. Some leading clinics now implant only embryos that have been frozen. Increasingly reasearchers believe that the embryos that survive freezing and thawing are the hardiest and the most likely to survive a pregnancy." ("A Piece of Yourself in the World", The Atlantic, June 89, p.77) EMBER FROM THE SUN handles the advent of its title Neanderthal character in a scientifically realistic way. No dead Neanderthals are brought back to life. Rather, an embryo is harvested from a Neanderthal woman who was in early pregnancy when she froze to death; the embryo is then transplanted into a modern surrogate mother. The plot handles the need for cryoprotectants by means of the Neanderthals' diet. It is known that polar plants, fish and insects contain organic proteins in their tissues that act as a natural antifreeze. The proteins, called supercooling stabilizers, allow the living tissues to be cooled to well below freezing temperatures without damage. USDA researchers have successfully used these agents to prevent frost damage in citrus plants. The wise shaman-mother of the Neanderthal character, Ember, led her people to eat these special plants and insects 25,000 years ago, so that their tissue would not be destroyed by freezing-for it was her vision that the Neanderthal race would some day live again in a new world. Another familiar problem with Neanderthal-among-us stories is the overwhelming cultural shock the poor Neanderthal faces upon waking up in our future world. The plot of EMBER FROM THE SUN skips this cliché (The Tarzan-in-Manhattan Syndrome) with a Neanderthal character who is born into our world. Ember grows up with cars, TVs, phones and computers, like any of her schoolmates. In this way the story is able to focus on the psycho-physical differences between Ember and her schoolmates with nothing else muddling the comparison. In spite of broad interest in Neanderthals there aren't many facts known about our prehistoric cousins. What happened to the Neanderthals? Who were they? Were they like us, or a different kind of human altogether? Did our ancestors cohabit with them or kill them off? Did Neanderthals evolve into modern people? These are the biggest questions in human origins research today. We do know that Neanderthals were massively built. Their bones are very dense and thick-much heavier than the skeleton of a modern Olympic weightlifter-and hefty frames have only one purpose: to support massive muscles. "'An adult Neanderthal,' says Harvard anthropologist John Shea, 'is a creature vastly stronger than the strongest NFL lineman. These guys could have butchered a gazelle with their bare hands, just torn it limb from limb.' " ("The Deepening Conundrum of Neanderthal Man", Smithsonian, Dec. 91, .115) We also know, from endocasts of Neanderthal skulls, their brain size averaged 1500 cc, compared to our modern average brain size of 1300 cc. However, we don't know how that gray matter was structured. (Dolphins have much larger brains than humans, but theirs is obviously a completely different kind of intelligence than ours.) "Two kinds of humans, both with large brains and equipped with virtually the same bag of technological tricks, lived in the same place at the same time. What happened when they met face-to-face?...Far from being the inevitable victims of a superior race...if either group had a competitive edge over the other, it was probably the Neanderthals." (Ibid, pp.126-7) Neanderthals, then, are wide-open for fictional speculation. Perhaps Neanderthal brain power involved more empathy, less verbal communication, a greatly amplified sense of smell-we are free to imagine another kind of human. The epigraph that precedes the first chapter of EMBER FROM THE SUN puts it so: One can draw few certainties about prehistoric human lifestyles from the mute record of fossil bones. Consider this: The bones of the goats of the Galapagos Archipelago do not offer the slightest clue that these animals are able to climb trees to eat leaves-a behavior that is readily observed. What unguessable abilities and surprising cultures would Neanderthals display if we could watch them go about their lives? EMBER FROM THE SUN is the story of a Neanderthal character who, far from being apish, is in some ways an idealized human-at least when it comes to her ability to love and communicate with the natural world. EMBER FROM THE SUN also touches upon the culture of the Northwest Coast Indians. Although the Quanoot tribe and Whaler Bay Island in this novel are both apocryphal, they are based on the Haida tribe of Queen Charlotte Island, British Columbia

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Summary: A touching story of one who searches for the Goodness of Fit
Review: A wonderfully written novel, both in historic content and the connection between past and present. The reader enjoys the excitement of Yute's discovery of the lady frozen in ice for millions of years. Excitement is not enough, however, to control destiny, or the future of Ember, the child born to a mother she would never know. As Yute struggles to protect and study Ember and her life, Ember struggles to find a fit for herself, a fit where her talents are respected and her differences are understood. The book takes the reader to new heights of understanding what Ember feels to be different. It sparks the age old question of tampering with knowledge and abilities we have today, and the effect this knowledge might have on reaching into the past to find answers. Was Yute doing the right thing? For the development of the future, or the demise of the past? This book seems to answer the question correctly, perhaps as the "Listeners" knew, it might be best not to be discovered at all rather than to discover without understanding. Consider the link between the past and the present, then consider the emotion. Truely an excellent, and reflective book

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Summary: Science and Mysticism compliment each other
Review: As a scientist and a mystic, I eye both warily when i read novels. I found the anthropology believeable and the mysticism--though slightly unique--enhanced the humanity of this novel about a barely human protagonist. Liking and relating Amber is easy, and understanding her genetic make-up follows logic. Soon I forgot about the science though, and got lost in a story as sweet and gripping as any I have read. I typically read a book slowly, but this one prevented the lawn from getting mowed and the history papewrs from being graded as I read voraciously, engrossed in the people, the places, the anthropology, and the mystery.

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Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: EXCELLENT FIRST NOVEL. Mr. Canter does an excellent job of holding your attention. He tells a superbly plotted story in a great way. His characters are, for the most part, well drawn and real. My only criticism in that regard is that I didn't get to see enough of them once I got to know them well. The story is good. It is told crisply, and I came to know the characters well. His descriptions placed me with precision in the scene where he wanted me. So, why do I feel there is something missing?

I have given this question some thought. I think Mr. Canter tried to tell too big a story in too small a book. He should have taken more pages to develop the story a bit more depth. He should have kept me more in touch with his characters as they fade in and out of the plot. I lost track of Yute and his sister. I lost track of Ember's "mother and father." ALL OF WHICH IS NOT TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A GOOD - VERY GOOD - BOOK. Well worth the time and money. I highly recommend it. I look forward to Mr. Canter's next book and hope that he is able to overcome what I perceive is a tendency to create really good characters, only to set them aside and forget them for too long. As a reader, I would hope he can keep all his extremely well-crafted characters, especially those I come to like and/or am interested in, involved throughout the story.

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Summary: An incredibly fast, hypnotic, hauntingand plausible read!!!!
Review: For a first Novel, Mark Canter has reached into the depths of the human (and even more miraculously) the female psyche...and created vividly and credibly..a human being born 25,000 years out of time...and made her rich with the gifts of intuition and caring...and subject to all the human emotions. You care deeply about Ember...and the problems related to *not quite fitting in*. Her sense of caring and responsibility make her journey all the more poignant. The love of her family comes through loud and clear and with truth. If you have any question about whether to read this book....I can simply say....READ IT!! Jud

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Summary: Fascinating! I hated to be finished
Review: I couldn't put this book down. For a first novel, Canter was brillant. I was captivated by the first two lines of the cover description and purchased it immediately. The tale is one of our own beginnings. It will be compared to Jean Auel's sage except that this Neadrathal has been brought to our time. Ember is born from a 25,000 year old embroyo that was preserved in her mother's womb to be found and implanted today. She grows up dealing with the cruelty of youth, being different looking and having strange dreams and visions. Upon trying to discover her history, she leads us on a wild ride through the Pacific Northwest and up to the tundra lands. I don't want to give anything away that would take from the pleasure of this book. Read it today!

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Summary: Ember Still Glows
Review: I first read Ember From the Sun about 6 years ago. Twice more I've reread it with pleasure. I have just finished it once again and it still holds a special place in the treasure section of my heart. Fantacy? Truth? Myth? I don't care. It's a good read.

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Summary: Grabbed me on the first page and didn't let go...
Review: I went to a book-signing with a friend, felt guilty about not buying a copy because the author was so nice, bought the book, went home, opened it up and didn't put it down until the wee hours of the morning. I lent it to my son's girlfriend the following day, she opened it, began to read, and finished it up about 2:00 a.m. The storyline grabs you at the very first page and soon you become so enthralled in the plot that you can't put it down. You are sure that you will hit a slow spot, but that spot never comes. A definite "must read." Mary Meads ([e-mail])