The Clan of the Cave Bear

Earth's Children, Book 1

By: Jean M. Auel

Narrated by: Sandra Burr

Length: 22 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love.

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

Through Jean M. Auel’s magnificent storytelling we are taken back to the dawn of modern humans, and with a girl named Ayla we are swept up in the harsh and beautiful Ice Age world they shared with the ones who called themselves The Clan of the Cave Bear. A natural disaster leaves the young girl wandering alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous land until she is found by a woman of the Clan, people very different from her own kind.

To them, blond, blue-eyed Ayla looks peculiar and ugly - she is one of the Others, those who have moved into their ancient homeland; but Iza cannot leave the girl to die and takes her with them. Iza and Creb, the old Mog-ur, grow to love her, and as Ayla learns the ways of the Clan and Iza’s way of healing, most come to accept her. But the brutal and proud youth who is destined to become their next leader sees her differences as a threat to his authority. He develops a deep and abiding hatred for the strange girl of the Others who lives in their midst, and is determined to get his revenge.

Listen to more in the Earth's Children series.

©1980 by Jean M. Auel. (P)1986 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Imaginative, exciting." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Jean Auel has performed a minor miracle." (San Francisco Chronicle)

One of the Best Books I’ve Ever Listened To

A true saga. Nothing keeps my attention these days it seems, but I couldn’t stop listening. The performance, writing, and story are almost too good for this day and age. It has changed my perception of life totally, and I’m already starting the next one in the series. Amazing. Highly recommendable.

Good story line. Should be able to make movie.

Good story line. Should be able to make movie. Hope to see more books. Enjoy!

A classic

my uncle used to read this to me when I was a kid. brings back memories.

.... MMMMMOOOOOOTHER!!

This book I've heard it 3+x and STILL GETS ME! If you don't cry, laugh, get pissed and LOVE this book...READ/LISTEN AGAIN until it sinks in...MOTHER!

A classic, must read!!

Excellent writing; rich, deep characters; amazing narration; this book should definitely be on your list!

Exciting read!

I loved the factual research backing the exciting fiction. Please write more stories like this.

Inventive and a good mix of fact and fiction

loved the story and characters. Plant and social lives were interesting. sometimes gives too much detail repeating the same facts many times

Something Dad & I really enjoyed together❣

My Dad & I really enjoyed the whole series; I loved sharing it with him.

I loved this book.

I remembered watching this movie with Daryl Hannah when I was a kid. And a few years ago I had watched a Nova documentary on neanderthal man. Between these two things it was where I started to become interested in the books. I loved all of the detail and how the historical and prehistorical information meshed together. Auel really takes you to a place where a young girl of a different species tries to coexist with neanderthal man. The narrator did a wonderful job distinguishing characters in her storytelling. I never had any confusion with her ability to identify all the specific characters.

It holds up

One of the first sagas I read as a young adult and it still holds up to being my favorite. I'm looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.