Indeed, the world-building is magnificent. There’s no doubt that Auel’s recreation of the prehistoric lifestyle has been formed with great care and rigour, and Ayla’s journeys seem intended in part to introduce the reader to a wide variety of customs, rituals and ways to provide shelter for a community. The amount of detail she devotes to the environment truly is remarkable, showing a thorough knowledge of plants and animals, not only in terms of what would have been accessible to Ayla and her contemporaries, but also in how it would have been used. That’s essentially the entire plot, and I’m beginning to understand that Auel is far more interested in describing the world her characters live in, than the characters themselves. She will find not only new friends among the Mamutoi but also a persistent and attractive new admirer. As she follows them, Ayla is torn between curiosity and fear, as these are the first Others she has seen except for Jondalar but her anxiety will prove to have no foundation. They are Mamutoi – Mammoth Hunters – and invite the young couple to visit their settlement, the Lion Camp.
At the end of The Valley of Horseswe left Ayla and Jondalar at the moment in which they are hailed by a hunting party here we see the group approach and make their introductions. As we embark on the third book in Ayla’s story, we pick up the narrative thread exactly where we left it.
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