The Clan of the Cave Bear

The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel is a prehistoric fiction novel set about 18,000 to 19,000 years ago during the Ice Age. It tells the story of Ayla, a young Cro-Magnon girl orphaned by an earthquake who is adopted by a Neanderthal clan known as the Clan. The novel explores Ayla’s struggle to fit into the clan’s rigid society, where she faces cultural and physical differences, gender role restrictions, and hostility—especially from Broud, the clan leader’s son. Despite these challenges, Ayla’s intelligence, adaptability, and unique skills in hunting and healing set her apart. The story delves into themes of survival, identity, tradition versus innovation, and the clash between two human species. This book is the first in Auel’s acclaimed six-part Earth’s Children series and vividly portrays prehistoric life through detailed research in anthropology and archaeology.