Ayla is the protagonist of Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children series. Orphaned as a young child when an earthquake kills her family, she is found and adopted by a group of Neanderthals. Growing up among the Clan, Ayla struggles to fit in due to her physical differences and independent nature, but she learns their healing arts and develops survival skills that serve her throughout the series.
After being forced to leave the Clan, Ayla survives alone in a remote valley where she tames horses and a cave lion, teaches herself to hunt, and discovers new ways to start fire. She eventually encounters other Cro-Magnon people and begins a long trek across Ice Age Europe, learning about different cultures and sharing her knowledge along the way.
Reading Order
See the complete Earth’s Children reading order for all books in the series.