The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The end of my marathon listening is both happy and sad. Happy to see what Ayla and her family are up to but sad because at the end, I want more. I want to know more of their adventures. Yes, there is an end but I love them and want to see them go on having adventures and grandchildren...ok, I'm greedy!

I've tried to come up with a good summary without giving away too much. Finally, I decided to share a bit of a publishers summary:

"...Whatever the obstacles, Ayla’s inventive spirit produces new ways to lessen the difficulties of daily life: searching for wild edibles to make delicious meals, experimenting with techniques to ease the long journeys the Zelandoni must take, honing her skills as a healer and a leader. And then, there are the Sacred Caves, the caves that Ayla’s mentor - the Donier, the First of the Zelandonia - takes her to see. These caves are filled with remarkable art - paintings of mammoths, lions, aurochs, rhinoceros, reindeer, bison, bear. The powerful, mystical aura within these caves sometimes overwhelms Ayla and the rituals of initiation bring her close to death. But through those rituals, Ayla gains A Gift of Knowledge so important that it will change the world.

Spellbinding drama, meticulous research, fascinating detail, and superb narrative skill combine to make The Land of Painted Caves a captivating, utterly believable creation of a long ago civilization that serves as an astonishing end to this beloved saga."

I hope you will become as much involved in this epic of the evolution of mankind with Ayla as the carrier as have I. For those who are interested in the archaeological finding put into story form, this is a series for you. For those who enjoy an epic story of survival in a hostel land, this is a series for you. My final hope is that I have stirred your curiosity enough to peek your desire have your own marathon.

The Shelters of Stone by Jean M. Auel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Again, I got this audio from Audible.com. In this 5th installment, the couple with their horses and wolf, have finally arrived at his home. It is here she delivers their 1st child. As is their way, the couple teaches the tribe what they have learn from experience as well as the stops they have made with various clans they stayed with along the way.

Ms. Auel has been criticized for repeating parts of earlier books. If you, like I, picked up the books as they came out, you know how long it took for each book to be released, so you might have appreciated the refresher bits as it meant you did not have to reread the preceding books before starting this one. Also I am sure she realized that some readers might pick up a first book out of order, so she made their adventure much easier by filling in the back story.

Years ago, when I read the books, I was sorry there was not another book in the series. Can you imagine my joy at when I found out Ms. Auel had written another book? Finishing the listening of this book brought me up to date on the whole series. now it was time to start and finish the last book of the series in my marathon listening!