In 1977, at the age of 40, Jean Auel took a leap of faith. Although she had not written for publication before, she quit her job to write a story about a woman who didn't fit in. That "story" turned into an outline for six books — a series of novels that would take Auel more than 30 years to finish. In the process, the Earth's Children series, which opened with the unexpected 1980 best-seller The Clan of the Cave Bear, became one of the most surprising and groundbreaking Cinderella stories in publishing history.
During the course of her lengthy career, this unassuming wife and mother from Portland, Ore., has generated some impressive literary statistics: worldwide sales of 45 million copies (22 million in the United States alone); the highest advance ever paid for a debut novel; the first hardcover novel with a first printing of more than 1 million copies; five New York Times best-sellers, four of which achieved the list's top spot; and translation of her work into 35 languages. With The Land of Painted Caves, the sixth and final installment in the Earth's Children series, Auel is poised to set new records all over the world, with simultaneous publication in 17 countries.
But statistics are not what has kept Auel's fans enthralled all these years. They come back to follow the exciting journey of Ayla, her Cro-Magnon protagonist. Orphaned at a young age and reluctantly adopted into a Neanderthal tribe — the Mamutoi — Ayla is the eternal outsider. Born into one culture yet raised in a very different world, she struggles throughout the story to find her place in the Europe of the Ice Age. But Ayla's keen intelligence and indomitable spirit give her the strength to turn difficult circumstances into opportunities for growth, and her kindness, humility and beauty draw others to her in spite of her strangeness.
Auel will read from The Land of Painted Caves at the Nashville Public Library on April 13 at 6:15 p.m. as part of the Salon@615 series. She recently answered questions via email.
In the early 1980s, the talk of the publishing industry was the phenomenal and somewhat unexpected success of
The Clan of the Cave Bear and its much anticipated sequel, The Valley of Horses. Last year, your Earth's Children series was published for the first time as e-books, a concept that was completely unknown when you began your career. Have the changes in publishing had any effect at all on the writing itself? What are your hopes and fears for the future of book publishing?
I don't think about anything else except the story I'm writing once I get into it. I don't write for anyone except myself. I hope that the publishing industry remains healthy and that writers can continue to receive fair compensation for their intellectual property.
On the website created for you by your publisher you are quoted as saying that "a careful study of the archaeological record shows that humanity is defined by compassion, curiosity and by art and invention." Are there any ways in which your research into early life on Earth has influenced your appreciation of your own world and the present-day "descendants" of your characters?
In recent times things have gotten off track somewhat, but when you consider that we were hunter-gatherers for millions of years, during which time the culture remained essentially unchanged. ... From the time that early modern humans appeared, we have gone from throwing a spear to sending a rocket to the outer planets and landing people on the moon, in 40,000 years. We have also invented hot showers!
You raised five children while writing the Earth's Children series. Any advice for aspiring writers who bemoan the way life too often makes it difficult or impossible to write seriously?
I would bemoan, too, if I had raised the children while I was writing the books. When I began writing, I had three daughters in college and two sons in high school: one of them a senior, the other a sophomore. They weren't taking a great deal of my time. I married at 18, and had the five children before I was 25. I didn't start writing until I was 40, which gives you a clue to my age. (I am 75.) Although my brain feels 30, my knees know the truth. I really admire anyone who attempts to write when they have young children.
Any chance you are considering a seventh book in this series?
I'm sure I will continue to write as long as I am physically and mentally able, but I like the ending of this series. I hope it causes people to think. And to be honest, I am tired and need to take a break, even if that only means writing something different. But who knows what the future holds?
To read an uncut version of this interview — and more local book coverage — visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.
