Earth's Children: Difference between revisions

 

The novels in the series are:

* ''The Valley of Horses'' (1982), in which Ayla lives a solitary existence in the titular location while Jondalar travels to meet her. This takes a good three or four years, with the remaining books falling into the pattern of relating one year per novel.

* ''The Mammoth Hunters'' (1985): Jondalar has just convinced Ayla to start heading for his home when they run into the novel's titular Mamutoi, who are, after Jondalar, the first Others Ayla has ever met. Ayla learns a lot about living with her own species; Jondalar learns how much he loves her when a [[Love Triangle]] is introduced.

Ayla is an extremely talented cook, hunter, healer and equestrian, and has single-handedly accomplished a number of technological breakthroughs, such as the discovery of making fire with flint and tinder; the domestication of the first horse (Whinny), and the first proto-dog (Wolf); the invention of the travois and sewing needle; and being (one of) the first to make the connection between sexual intercourse and reproduction. Jondalar has also showed fecundity by collaborating with her on the invention of the spear-thrower (atlatl), the sewing needle, horse tack, and "break-away" reusable spears. Thankfully, the pair didn't invent everything: alcoholic drinks are already well known (and a bit of a problem) in the depicted Cro-Magnon societies, a priestess in another tribe is said to have invented earthenware, yet another has accidented soap into existence, and in no particular order other tribally unique inventions/discoveries: charcoal, salt mining, chamois leather, boat keels and rudders.

 

* [[All Cavemen Were Neanderthals]]: ''Definitely'' averted. Cro-Magnons still lived in caves, and Neanderthals knew how to make tents.

* [[The Aloner]]: Ayla for a good part of ''The Valley Of Horses''. She's actually surviving completely alone in the wilderness, using all the skills she learned in the Clan.

{{The Big Read}}

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Historical Fiction Literature]]

[[Category:Romance Novel]]

[[Category:The Eighties]]

[[Category:Literature]]

[[Category:The Great American Read]]