The Shelters of Stone

Version: Unabridged
Author: Jean M. Auel
Narrator: Sandra Burr
Genres: Fantasy
Publisher: Brilliance Corporation
Date: January 2011
Length: 28 hours
Ratings:
Formats :
  • CD
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Overview

The Shelters of Stone opens as Ayla and Jondalar, along with their animal friends, Wolf, Whinney, and Racer, complete their epic journey across Europe and are greeted by Jondalar’s people: the Zelandonii. The people of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii fascinate Ayla. Their clothes, customs, artifacts, even their homes—formed in great cliffs of vertical limestone—are a source of wonder to her. And in the woman Zelandoni, the spiritual leader of the Ninth Cave
(and the one who initiated Jondalar into the Gift of Pleasure), she meets a fellow healer with whom to share her knowledge and skills.

But as Ayla and Jondalar prepare for the formal mating at the Summer Meeting, there are difficulties. Not all the Zelandonii are welcoming. Some fear Ayla’s unfamiliar ways and abhor her relationship with those they call flatheads and she calls Clan. Some even oppose her mating with Jondalar, and make their displeasure known. Ayla has to call on all her skills, intelligence, knowledge, and instincts to find her way in this complicated society, to prepare for the birth of her child, and to decide whether she will accept new challenges and play a significant role in the destiny of the Zelandonii.

Jean Auel is at her very best in this superbly textured creation of a prehistoric society. The Shelters of Stone is a sweeping story of love and danger, with all the wonderful detail—based on meticulous research— that makes her novels unique. It is a triumphant continuation of the Earth’s Children® saga that began with The Clan of the Cave Bear. And it includes an amazing rhythmic poem that describes the birth of Earth’s Children and plays its own role in the narrative of The Shelters of Stone.

Selected Reviews

SHELTERS OF STONE

by TRISH
  • Book Rating: 3/5

Can't-put-it-down

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 12

Reviews (12)

SHELTERS OF STONE

Written by TRISH on January 20th, 2012

  • Book Rating: 3/5

The first 3 in the series had great story lines and character development. The last 3, including this one, were not up to the standard the first 3 set.

Can't-put-it-down

Written by Anonymous on October 16th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Since I ALWAYS love Jean Auel (and have read this book in print) I am probably biased but I find her novels to be thought provoking and extremely addictive. Once I start, I don't want to stop until the last chapter is done! I slight problem since most of her books are marathoners...

Shelters of Stone

Written by Dewey Stevens on September 7th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 3/5

I started out enjoying the series. About halfway thru Plains of Passage I started fast forwarding to skip repeated information, and in Shelters of Stone... oh my, the book would probably be half as long if the repeats were omitted. Tedious.

great continuation

Written by Gabi on December 16th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 5/5

excellent excellent continuation of the story, what else is there to say?

Shelters of Stone

Written by Peggy Gross on February 6th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 3/5

I enjoy all of Ms Auel's books. I have always been fascinated by the pains she takes in her research. She tends to go overboard with her graphic and meticulous descriptions of sexual encounters and every day surroundings. In my opinion it gets in the way of the story.

Shelter of Stone

Written by Missymoo from Charlton, MA on January 25th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 4/5

I did read this book when it first came out and I too thought it was on the boring side compared with the previous three. Listening to it instead of reading it made it way, way better. I'm really enjoying it.

The Shelters of Stone

Written by Anonymous on December 2nd, 2006

  • Book Rating: 3/5

This is not my favorite in the series. It seems that Auel was searching for events to develop the plot and I did not really have the same intense desire in listening. It certainly seemed that Auel developed Ayla as a god and no one was close to her in knowledge and/or abilities. I still enjoyed the history and was glad that Ayla had finally reached her goal. The Earth's Children series was excellent.

The Shelters Stone

Written by Mary Johnson from San Jose, CA on November 12th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 4/5

I got this book not knowing it was the last in a series and enjoyed it very much. I think the reason I liked it was because all the "catching up" that was done in this book was new to me.

Shelters of Stone

Written by Diana Nunn from Irvine, CA on September 30th, 2005

  • Book Rating: 4/5

I have read the other reviews and while I appreciate their comments, I want the person who is just picking up this audiobook to understand that the entire earth children's series is wonderful. While this book does reiterate much of the previous 4 books, it has a bit of magic all its own. So, if you are just starting to read the series with this book, please feel confident that you will have the gist of the story adequately. Jean is a master storyteller to be sure. Her work has been extensively researched and given careful literary license, has woven an incredible story. Her insights into human nature are artfully discussed and there is no doubt that our very early breathern on this planet felt feelings much the way we feel them today. Again, this is a carefully crafted work and we meet up with our heroine, Ayla, as she is introduced to the people of her paramour, Jondalar. Her acceptance into the 9th cave of the Zelandonii cave is frought with challenges.

Shelters of Stone: Earth's Children

Written by Marty Mays from Arlington, MN on August 23rd, 2005

  • Book Rating: 2/5

I found this book to be a bit of a big let down. It seemed so redundant. I was hoping for more but found it to be little else but overview and review. Seemed like all needed such an explanation as if there weren't the four other books. It did not move much and was a bit of a waste of my time. The next, if any. will not be appreciated by me. I will spend my money elsewhere.

Selected Reviews

SHELTERS OF STONE

by TRISH
  • Book Rating: 3/5

Can't-put-it-down

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 12

Author Details

Author Details

Auel, Jean M.

"Jean M. Auel is an international phenomenon. Her books have sold 34 million copies worldwide. Her extensive research has earned her the respect of archaeologists and anthropologists around the world. She lives with her husband, Ray, in Oregon, where she is at work on the next book in the Earth's Children? series."