One of the biggest deals of the year was announced last week at BEA. Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children series has been capturing the imaginations of millions since 1980. We interviewed Auel in 2002 about Shelters of Stone, the fifth book in the series, and ever since have been receiving questions about when, oh when, Auel would release the sixth and final book. The answer: March 2011. Here’s the deal as announced by Publisher’s Marketplace:
THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES, continuing the story of Ayla, her mate and their little daughter, taking readers on a journey of discovery and adventure as Ayla struggles to find a balance between her duties as a new mother and her training to become one of the Ninth Cave community’s spiritual leaders and healers; rendering the terrain, dwelling places, longings, beliefs, creativity, and daily lives of Ice Age Europeans as real to the reader as today’s news, to Bantam Dell.
Will you be reading?
I can not wait!!!! This is a remarkable series and I, too, have been waiting since Shelters of Stone for the final book.
these stories are awesome. will have to recap last few stories to get updated for new book.
It has been a long wait. This is such great news!
Thank you! Thank you! Jean Auel. March 2011 can’t come soon enough.
Hello, I also like the Shrek movies, awesome movie!
Yes! I have all of Jean Auel books sitting in my bookcase right now! I can hardly wait to add this last book to the collection. They have all been awesome reads!
Love them! Waiting for the last one, but I probably should buy all of them, I´ve read the previous five to schreds
I’ll read it. I adored the first book, enjoyed the second, and found the third to be compelling. The fourth was more ‘something to read’ than an amazing piece of literature. But “Shelters of Stone” was such a damp collapsed souffle of a book – a complete letdown from the energy and tension of the rest of the series.
I don’t want Ayla to be perfect. I don’t want her to be the Best Ever Person in the world. I’m sick of hearing her introduce herself as Ayla of the No-People Clan Mamutoi Zelandonii Highest Priestess Healer/Warrior/Mother/Magician/High Goat Snuggler of the Nine Caves of the Lion Camp of the Mammoth Hearth of the Sparkly-Warkly-Woobles. I liked the self-confident loner, the little girl struggling to figure out how to feed herself, wondering what made people human. With each book she moved farther away from this, into the realm of fantasy. Ayla is an avatar. Her struggles are no longer meaningful or dramatic. We know she will overcome them with Magic and Beauty and the Power of Love.
I won’t buy this book. I’ll read it – from the library.
I was very disapointed with her last book. I do hope this one is as enjoyable as her first books. Also, I do hope she is reunited with her son!!!
I don’t really see her ever seeing her son because of the distance but, I am a bit tired of Ayal being perfect and I would really love to have a book on Dirk’s story what happens to him and the clan under Broud’s leadership it seems to me that since Durk is Brouds son he would have the leadership memories, sigh….. I think that is a gret atory waiting to be written.
I don’t usually comment on someones blog just for the sake of it (unlike other people who do it just to get attention) but I’m hoping that your post could lead other folks to turn this into an online conversation.
we care for this blog post. i just told my buddy donny about this because he cares for this sort of info too!
I fell in love with Clan of the Cave Bear,I knew each of the people, understood them and cared about them. Valley of the Horses kept me excited and totally into Jondalar Thonolon and Ayala. The Mamoth Hunters was a fun read and I enjoyed getting to know them. However, Plains of Passage and Shelters of Stone, The people become secondary with very little story line for such big books. I am reminded of high school assignments where I was told to write a 500 word essay so I wrote it then went back and added words to make that 500. Will I read the new book YES, but, I hope I get to know,understand and care about the Zelondonee people and not just go into caves and see what the walls are made of and how large they are and the bison painted on the wall and and and.