The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

Originally gave it 3 stars, but upon reflection...3.5.

I really appreciate combination of the amount of research that went into this book as well as the conjecture of what Neanderthal culture may have been like. This story really satisfied my survivalist nerd cravings.

I'm very drawn to stories about 'the dawn of man.' I think that like science fiction, we are provided with a realistic, scientific introduction to this world in school, but it's also mysterious and unknown enough to allow our imaginations to flourish. Sure, we know what Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon man ate and wore, but how did their societies function? How did families treat each other? I thought Jean Auel did a great job of providing us with some fascinating possibilities to ponder.

All that being said, this book could have been better. Ayla was a bit of Mary Sue character with no real flaws beyond her defiance of traditions, which was clearly shown to be admirable. I sometimes felt that her experiences were just a little too idyllic and convenient, and I from what I understand this tendency of the author gets worse with the next book in the series, which makes me reluctant to read it.