The Clan of the Cave BearThe Clan of the Cave Bear
Score Classic
What it's about
Thirty thousand years ago, an earthquake leaves a five-year-old girl alone. She is found by a band of Neanderthals, who call her Ayla and take her in, though she is one of the Others, tall and blond and strange to them. Raised by a healer woman and a wise holy man, Ayla grows up clever and curious in a clan with ancient traditions, and some of its men will never accept her.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto both PBS's Great American Read and the BBC's Big Read and became a worldwide bestseller. It's an immersive, carefully researched adventure in the deep past.
You'll love it if you liked
Outlander
The Thorn Birds
Memoirs of a GeishaGood to know
It includes repeated rape. There are long passages about plants and medicine. It's the first of six books, and the later ones are much more romantic.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller88 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #42 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #144 of the 762 classics we rank
- #453 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
Lonesome Dove
Pride and Prejudice
I, Claudius
The Pillars of the Earth
One Hundred Years of SolitudeExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Clan of the Cave Bear worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto both PBS's Great American Read and the BBC's Big Read and became a worldwide bestseller. It ranks #453 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Clan of the Cave Bear about?
Thirty thousand years ago, an earthquake leaves a five-year-old girl alone. She is found by a band of Neanderthals, who call her Ayla and take her in, though she is one of the Others, tall and blond and strange to them. Raised by a healer woman and a wise holy man, Ayla grows up clever and curious in a clan with ancient traditions, and some of its men will never accept her.
How long does it take to read The Clan of the Cave Bear?
About 13 hours (514 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Clan of the Cave Bear?
If you liked it, try Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.