Books by and for independent women

Jean M. Auel at the Natural History Museum

Remember last month, when we featured this retrospective about the multi-million-selling Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel?

At the time, Jess looked back at the first book in the series, The Clan of the Cave Bear, and examined how its heroine, Ayla, had grown and evolved over the course over the four subsequent novels.

(According to Jess: “If you don’t currently have a fantasy about being taken roughly in the furs, expect to by the end of The Mammoth Hunters.”)

The last book, The Shelters of Stone, was published almost a decade ago, and at last the long-awaited sixth and final instalment is nearly here.

The Land of Painted Caves is published in hardback by Hodder at the end of March, and to celebrate the author will be appearing next Monday at London’s Natural History Museum.

At her only appearance in Europe, she’ll be in conversation with Professor Chris Stringer, the head of Human Origins research at the museum.

Want to go? Tickets are £10, and can be booked online via NHM’s website.

Jane Bradley