Did you read bestselling author Jean Auel’s novel The Clan of the Cave Bear as a young adult, like I did? I remember the book as a great mix of steamy soap opera, survival story and fascinating historical detail about the Ice Age and a time when both Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons existed simultaneously. Ayla, a little orphaned Cro-Magnon girl (i.e., modern human), is adopted by a Neanderthal clan and grows to maturity. Her more modern ways due to her different brain structure create conflict at times with the clan. The Clan of the Cave Bear is the first of six books, and the long anticipated last book in the Earth’s Children series, The Land of Painted Caves, was just published this year.
I’m excited to tell you that author Jean Auel is speaking at the Tigard Library this month, on Friday, July 15th at 7 p.m. in the Community Room! Did you know she lives in Portland? Auel conducted extensive research for the novels, and her vast knowledge infuses the books’ descriptions about what the characters looked like, ate, wore, and thought, and about the landscape, flora and fauna. Some of her practical research about skills such as fire making, spear throwing, and stone tool creation was done in the high desert of Central Oregon. We invite you to come and listen to her speak about the series and her latest book on Friday. Copies of her books will be for sale by a local book store, and Auel will be signing books after the talk.
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