Upcoming Book Release: Final Book in the Children of the Earth Series

Back in November of this last year, it was announced to the public that Jean Auel would be publishing the final book in her Children of the Earth Series, The Land of Painted Caves.  This last book has been long anticipated, as many of her novels have taken over a decade to publish.  Honestly, I didn't think we would ever get this last novel.  (Who could ever tackle this series and finish it as a ghost writer?)  The story is mainly about  a beautiful young woman who was raised by a group of Neanderthals, who later goes in search of "others" like herself.  Through her story, we trace the movements of human activity across Europe and how cultures and practices came to be.  In short, Auel's novels are an intriguing idea of what it might have been like for earth's earliest people.

Filled with archaeological information about land, animals, and people who lived over 25,000 years ago, we get to see a time that I can't say many other authors have tackled.  Although there is a lot of great information in her novels (enough so that Auel was awarded four honorary degrees), each book is driven by a solid storyline, with characters that stick with you and feel like people you know.  For reserved readers, I would point out that there is a good deal of graphic content, which although is understandable for a time and culture outside our own (limited in inhibitions), is often very detailed.  This is my simple disclaimer and warning to some of my readers.

Introduced to me by a co-worker back in the early 90's, I have often thought about these characters and what happened to them.  Currently, I'm re-reading them and am still intrigued by the culture of prehistoric peoples.  Listen, I know I wouldn't survive if I'd lived then, but I love the information about survival and the tools they learned to make that made for easier living.  If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a unique and intriguing series to read.  Coming in at 700+ pages per book, these take a real commitment to read, but so worth it!

The Land of the Painted Caves comes out on March 29, 2011.

I know I'm not alone in my fascination with Jean Auel's work.  If you've read this series, what are your thoughts?