by Jean M. Auel
First published 2002
Ayla arrives pregnant among the Zelandonii, Jondalar's Ice Age tribe. The Cro-Magnon woman raised by Neanderthals must win over his mother and face his bitter former fiancée. She demonstrates her unusual skills, striking fire from flint and taming a wild wolf. But the Zelandonii see her Neanderthal Clan as subhuman flatheads. Ayla struggles to prove that Clan sign language represents true communication, not meaningless gestures. Tensions escalate as the two peoples clash, with mixed-blood children branded as abominations. Ayla hides her deepest secret: she abandoned her half-breed son in Clan territory. As tribal politics and ancient prejudices threaten her future with Jondalar, Ayla must bridge two worlds while woolly rhinos roam the Pleistocene landscape around them.
Genres: science-fiction, romance, historical-fiction, adventure
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Zelandonii
Period: Pleistocene
1216 pages · Hardcover · Random House Large Print
Content warnings: racism