The Plains of Passage (with Bonus Content) : Earth's Children, Book Four

From Publishers WeeklyThe long-awaited fourth installment of the Earth's Children series is as warm and inviting as its campfire milieu. sure fire bestseller. Auel again describes her characters' travails, a passionate interest of millions of readers, in impeccably researched detail. The continuous recitation of flora and fauna, coupled with flashbacks to events in the previous books, becomes somewhat tiresome, however. (Would that our "memory" were as instinctual as that of the Clan.) The saga continues the cross-continental journey of Ayla, her mate Jondalar and their menagerie to his homeland. En route, they encounter a variety of problems, yet manage to find panaceas for each. Their enlightened compilation of skills, inventions, therapies and recipes transforms the voyagers into spirit-like personas providing The Others with constant awe. A brief encounter with the Neanderthal Clan rekindles the unique charm of the first (and strongest) book. Such locutions as "out of the cooking skin into the coals" or "Mother's path of milk" for the Milky Way are coyly anachronistic. Nonetheless, this volume is as welcome as letters from a long-lost friend. A novel 1.25 million first printing; major ad/promo; first serial to Ladies' Home Journal; BOMC main selection; author tour. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalYA-- Auel follows the successful formula of the other books in this series--man's emergence from primitivism to civilization. Ayla and Jondalar continue their journey, accompanied by Whinny, Racer, and Wolf, closely observing the terrain and prudently, even inventively, developing "modern" techniques to deal with danger and evil. Perhaps most interesting is Ayla's triumph over the matriarchal despot Attaroa; the reverberating echoes of the women's movement's attendant strengths and weaknesses lend a nice touch of irony. The love scenes are not quite as steamy as in the other books. The conclusion is too abrupt, coming just as the characters reach their destination, but The Plains of Passage is still satisfying.- Joan L. Reynolds, West Potomac High School, Fairfax County, VACopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Ayla, the heroine first introduced in The Clan of the Cave Bear, is known and loved by millions of readers. Now, in The Plains of Passage, Ayla's story continues. Ayla and Jondalar set out on horseback across the windswept grasslands of Ice Age Europe. To the hunter-gatherers of their world--who have never seen tame animals--Ayla and Jondalar appear enigmatic and frightening. The mystery surrounding the woman, who speaks with a strange accent and talks to animals with their own sounds, is heightened by her uncanny control of a large, powerful wolf. The tall, yellow-haired man who rides by her side is also held in awe, not only for the magnificent stallion he commands, but also for his skill as a crafter of stone tools, and for the new weapon he devises, the spear-thrower. In the course of their cross-continental odyssey, Ayla and Jondalar encounter both savage enemies and brave friends. Together they learn that the vast and unknown world can be difficult and treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful and enlightening as well. All the pain and pleasure bring them closer to their ultimate destination, for the orphaned Ayla and the wandering Jondalar must reach that place on earth they can call home. As sweeping and spectacular as the land she creates, Jean M. Auel's The Plains of Passage is an astonishing novel of discovery, danger, and love, a triumph for one of the world's most original and popular authors.This eBook includes the full text of the novel plus the following additional content:• An Earth's Children® series sampler including free chapters from the other books in Jean M. Auel's bestselling series• A Q&A with the author about the Earth's Children® series I love all of the Earth's Children books and have read the entire series back to back at least 20 times. Seriously. I love these books, but I have to say this one is definitely my least favorite of them all. I dont have much to add after reading the other reviews, about the repetitive descriptions of the scenery, NODES! LOL, and how pretty much perfect Jondalar and Ayla are and how they always manage to save the day. But what gets me, as a dog owner and animal lover is how perfect the ANIMALS are! I realize that wolves and horses are very intelligent creatures and certainly can be trained, and even trained with hand signals (as I've trained my own dogs). But the things that Ayla is able to make them do just strains the imagination. It is as if her animals can not only read her mind but she can train them to consistently do things that goes against their own instinct. Particularly the way Wolf behaves when Ayla is about to be dispatched. Although, that is the one time that Wolf actually DOES follow his instincts no matter what Ayla told him to do. A little far-fetched, some of it, but again, I love the whole series and you can't read the series and skip a book. I do admit to skipping over some parts but still I would recommend this book, if for no other reason, than it is a part of a wonderful series. Every time I read these books is like a vacation to me. I hope there are more books to follow Shelters of Stone.

Jean M. Auel’s enthralling Earth’s Children® series has become a literary phenomenon, beloved by readers around the world. In a brilliant novel as vividly authentic and entertaining as those that came before, Jean M. Auel returns us to the earliest days of humankind and to the captivating adventures of the courageous woman called Ayla.

With her companion, Jondalar, Ayla sets out on her most dangerous and daring journey--away from the welcoming hearths of the Mammoth Hunters and into the unknown. Their odyssey spans a beautiful but sparsely populated and treacherous continent, the windswept grasslands of Ice Age Europe, casting the pair among strangers. Some will be intrigued by Ayla and Jondalar, with their many innovative skills, including the taming of wild horses and a wolf; others will avoid them, threatened by what they cannot understand; and some will threaten them. But Ayla, with no memory of her own people, and Jondalar, with a hunger to return to his, are impelled by their own deep drives to continue their trek across the spectacular heart of an unmapped world to find that place they can both call home.

Cosmopolitan

Thrilling... This magical book is rich in details of all kinds... but it it the depth of the characters' emotional lives... that gives the novel such a stranglehold.

Librarian note: See an alternate cover edition (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30129131-the-plains-of-passage) here . Jean M. Auels enthralling Earths Children series has become a literary phenomenon, beloved by readers around the world. In a brilliant novel as vividly authentic and entertaining as those that came before, Jean M. Auel returns us to the earliest days of humankind and to the captivating adventures of the courageous woman called Ayla. With her companion, Jondalar, Ayla sets out on her most dangerous and daring journey--away from the welcoming hearths of the Mammoth Hunters and into the unknown. Their odyssey spans a beautiful but sparsely populated and treacherous continent, the windswept grasslands of Ice Age Europe, casting the pair among strangers. Some will be intrigued by Ayla and Jondalar, with their many innovative skills, including the taming of wild horses and a wolf; others will avoid them, threatened by what they cannot understand; and some will threaten them. But Ayla, with no memory of her own people, and Jondalar, with a hunger to return to his, are impelled by their own deep drives to continue their trek across the spectacular heart of an unmapped world to find that place they can both call home. The sequel to The Mammoth Hunters finds Ayla and Jondalar on their long journey returning to Jondalar's family. Returning humankind's earliest days, the fourth novel in the Earth's Children series. Courageous heroine Ayla and companion Jondalar leave the Mammoth Hunters and travel into the dark, spectacular lands of an unmapped world-always driven to reach a place that they can finally call home This is "The Plains of Passage." Adding (Earth's Children) is why there is no description. Earth's Children is not part of the title. Search for only "The Plains of Passage." As Ayla and Jondalar travel across Ice Age Europe they encounter savage enemies and brave friends in their search for a place they can call home