The Shelters of Stone is a historical fiction

Historical fiction

Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...

 novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 by Jean M. Auel

Jean M. Auel

Jean Marie Auel is an American writer. She is best known for her Earth's Children books, a series of novels set in prehistoric Europe that explores interactions of Cro-Magnon people with Neanderthals...

 published in April 2002. It is the sequel to The Plains of Passage

The Plains of Passage

The Plains of Passage is an historical fiction novel by Jean M. Auel published in 1990. It is the sequel to The Mammoth Hunters and fourth in the Earth's Children series.-Plot summary:...

– published 12 years earlier – and fifth in the Earth's Children

Earth's Children

Earth's Children is a series of speculative alternative historical fiction novels written by Jean M. Auel set circa 30,000 years before present. There are six novels in the series...

 series. It describes the return of Jondalar to his homeland along with Ayla.

Plot summary

Central to this book is the tension created by Ayla's healing art, her pregnancy

Pregnancy

Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...

, and the acceptance of her by Jondalar's people, the Zelandonii. Ayla was raised by Clan Neanderthal

Neanderthal

The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...

s, known as "flatheads" to the Zelandonii and viewed as no better than animals. For the Zelandonii to accept Ayla they must first overcome their prejudice against the Neanderthals. Luckily for Ayla and Jondalar, some of the higher-ranking Zelandonii already have doubt

Doubt

Doubt, a status between belief and disbelief, involves uncertainty or distrust or lack of sureness of an alleged fact, an action, a motive, or a decision. Doubt brings into question some notion of a perceived "reality", and may involve delaying or rejecting relevant action out of concerns for...

s of this misjudgment.

Two of their number, Echozar and Brukeval, are of Neanderthal ancestry and are ashamed of it. Echozar at least is pacified by Ayla's own story and by his (Echozar's) own marriage to Joplaya, Jondalar's close-cousin (half-sister). Brukeval, on the other hand, rejects his heritage utterly and refuses to listen to reason.

Jondalar's first romantic interest, Zelandoni, formerly known as Zolena, has now become the First among the spiritual leaders. She supports adopting Ayla into their society, if not least for the healing arts she brings to the cave, although Ayla also must overcome the feeling that she is not skilled in that area. After Ayla helps a mortally injured hunter live long enough to see his mate, the First senses that Ayla needs to be brought into the fold of the Zelandonia (mystics, named after their culture

Culture

Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...

 so as to identify themselves with it) so that she will be accepted as a healer by all the people of the cave.

At one point, Ayla persuades the native mothers to nurse a neglected infant, on the pretext that even a "flathead" would have done so in their place. This both shames them into agreeing (as noted by Jondalar's sister-in-law, Proleva) and educates the Zelandonii in the ways of their ex-neighbors.

Ayla is drawn ever closer to an as-yet-undetermined role in the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii. Her knowledge of the healing arts as well as hunting force her to accept a role in the spiritual leadership of the group.

Through it all Jondalar is waiting for the summer meeting and matrimonial that will finally "tie the knot" for the two of them. This has been his ultimate goal since The Valley of Horses. Their daughter, Jonayla, named for her mother's belief a man's "essence" creates babies, which leads to Jondalar and Ayla each being part of the baby, not just their spirits, is born sometime after this event. Not long after the birth, Ayla finally decides to become Zelandonii's acolyte, if only so the members of the Zelandonii will accept her as a healer.

This book is set in what is now the Vézère

Vézère

The Vézère is a 211 km long river in south-western France, right tributary of the Dordogne River. Its source is in the north-western Massif Central...

 valley, near to Les Eyzies, in the Dordogne

Dordogne

Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...

, southwest France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. It was relatively densely populated in prehistoric times, with many open cliff-top dwellings that can still be seen, some of which have been turned into tourist attractions. The national museum of prehistory is located in this valley. Ayla also discovers the world-famous cave of Lascaux

Lascaux

Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. The original caves are located near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne. They contain some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art. These paintings are estimated to be...

, which her adopted people subsequently paint.

Ninth cave of the Zelandonii

Ayla - of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, formerly Ayla of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi, Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth, Chosen by the Spirit of the Cave Lion, Protected by the Cave Bear, Friend of the horses, Whinney and Racer, and the four-legged hunter, Wolf

• Jondalar - of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Ayla's intended, son of former leader, brother of leader, called Jonde by his sister Folara
• Zelandoni - (Zolena) Current Zelandoni, former lover of Jondalar
• Thonolan/d - Jondalar's younger brother, killed on Journey
• Folara - Jondalar's younger sister
• Marthona - Jondalar's mother, former leader, also mother of Joharran, Folara, Thonolan
• Willamar - Marthona's mate, Trade Master, Traveler
• Tivonan - Willamar's apprentice trader
• Joconan/d - Marthona's first mate, dead, man of Joharran's hearth
• Joharran - Jondalar's older brother, leader of Ninth Cave
• Proleva - Joharran's mate
• Jaradal - Proleva's son, Joharran's hearth child
• Levela - Proleva's younger sister, Jondecam's mate
• Jondecam - Levela's mate, nephew of Kimeran and son of Zelandoni of the Second Cave
• Velima - mother of Proleva and Levela
• Solaban - Hunter, adviser, and friend of Joharran
• Ramara - Solaban's mate
• Robenan - Ramara's son
• Rushemar - Hunter, adviser, and friend of Joharran
• Salova - Rushemar's mate
• Marsola - Salova's daughter
• Marona - Jondalar's former girlfriend
• Wylopa - Marona's cousin
• Portula - Marona's friend
• Lorava - Portula's younger sister
• Ramila - Folara's friend
• Galeya - Folara's friend
• Charezal - New member of Ninth Cave, stranger to Jondalar
• Shevonar/d - Man who dies while hunting
• Relona - Shevonar's mate
• Ranokol - Shevonar's brother
• Brukeval - Jondalar's distant cousin (part Clan)
• Madroman - Formerly called Ladroman, acolyte of Fifth Cave
• Laramar - Man who makes barma
• Tremeda - Laramar's mate
• Bologan - son of Tremeda, eldest, twelve
• Lanoga - daughter of Tremeda, ten
• Lorala - daughter of Tremeda, about six months
• Stelona - Older woman who nurses Lorala
• Thefona - Third Cave's best lookout, best vision
• Thevola - Maker of rawhide panels
• Lanidar - Boy of the Nineteenth Cave with deformed right arm
• Mardena - Lanidar's mother
• Denoda - Mardena's mother
• Janida - Peridal's mate
• Peridal - Janida's mate
• Matagan - Young man who was gored by a woolly rhinoceros
• Tishona - Marsheval's mate
• Marsheval - Tishona's mate
• Palidar - Tivonan's friend
• Whinney - Ayla's horse, dun-yellow mare, Przwalski horse
• Racer - Jondalar's horse, bay (brown) stallion, Cherski horse (rare)
• Wolf - Ayla's wolf

Leaders

• Manvelar - Leader of Third Cave, Two Rivers Rock
• Morizan - Son of Manvelar's mate, son of his hearth
• Kareja - Leader of Eleventh Cave, River Place
• Dorova - Kareja's mother
• Brameval - Leader of Fourteenth Cave, Little Valley
• Kimeran - Leader of Second Cave of the Zelandonii, Elder Hearth, brother of
• Zelandoni - of the Second Cave, uncle of Jondecam
• Denanna - Leader of the three holdings of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Three Rocks, and specifically of the South Holding, Reflection Rock
• Tormaden - Leader of the Nineteenth Cave of the Zelandonii

Zelandonia

• Zelandoni - of the Eleventh Cave, River Place, homosexual man
• Marolan man who is the Eleventh's friend and mate
• Zelandoni - of the Third Cave, Two Rivers Rock, older man
• Zelandoni - of the Fourteenth Cave, Little Valley, middle-aged woman
• Zelandoni - of the Second Cave, Elder Hearth, older sister of Kimeran, mother of Jondecam
• Zelandoni - of the Seventh Cave, Horsehead Rock, white-haired grandfather of Zelandoni Second, and Kimeran
• Zelandoni - of the Nineteenth Cave, white-haired older woman
• Zelandoni - of the Fifth Cave, Old Valley, middle-aged man
• Zelandoni - of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Three Rocks, and mediator between the three assistant zelandonia and three leaders of the three separate locations of the Twenty-ninth Cave
  • Assistant Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Zelandoni of Reflection Rock (South Holding), middle-aged man
  • Assistant Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Zelandoni of South Face (North Holding), young man
  • Assistant Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Zelandoni of Summer Camp (West Holding), middle-aged woman
  • First Acolyte of the Second Cave (almost Zelandoni), young woman
  • Jonokol First Acolyte of the Ninth Cave, artist, young man
  • Mikolan Second Acolyte of the Fourteenth Cave, very young man
  • Mejera Acolyte of the Third Cave (formerly Fourteenth Cave), very young woman
  • Madroman Acolyte of the Fifth Cave (formerly Ladroman of the Ninth Cave), young man

First Cave of the Lanzadonii (Dalanar's cave)

• Dalanar Man of Jondalar's hearth, Marthona's former mate, founder of the
• Lanzadonii
• Jerika Dalanar's mate, co-founder of Lanzadonii
• Ahnlay/d Jerika's mother, died
• Hochaman Man of Jerika's hearth Great Traveler
• Joplaya Jerika's daughter, daughter of Dalanar's hearth
• Echozar Joplaya's half-Clan mate
• Andovan/d Man who helped raise Echozar
• Yoma/d Echozar's mother, Clan woman