discussion group

guide

By Jean Auel
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Welcome to the reading group guide for The Land of Painted Caves. Readers of all ages can share the
experience of entering anew into Ayla’s marvelous world in these pages, and we encourage groups to
embrace this novel, share their experience of reading it, and challenge each other with their thoughts.
These questions are intended to guide your discussion; each reading group will bring its own perspective to
it. Share your group’s reaction by posting responses at Jean M. Auel’s website (www.jeanauel.com) or visiting
Facebook and exploring the world of the Earth’s Children® with a vast international reading group.

Please note: In order to provide reading groups with the most informed and thought-provoking questions possible, it is necessary to reveal
important aspects of the plot of this novel—as well as the ending. If you have not finished reading The Land of Painted Caves, we respectfully
suggest that you may want to wait before reviewing this guide.

1. How did you find Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children® Series? How long have you
been reading the series? Have you shared the experience of reading these
books with other people in your life?
2.The author’s research is acclaimed by experts, and she takes great pains to
get the details correct. What does this authenticity contribute to The Land
of Painted Caves? Do you feel that you have learned facts and aspects about
ancient cultures you might not have otherwise known?
3. If you could ask Jean Auel anything, what would you ask her? If you have read
the entire six-novel series, what questions do you feel were answered in this
book? What questions do you still have?
4.  How has Ayla’s tendency to think as a medicine woman shaped who she has
become? What does her devotion to helping others who are hurt or ill say
about her, and how does it affect how she is perceived in her home cave and
along her travels?
5. The Sacred Cave is based on real caves and drawings. What does the ancient
art tell us about the people who made it? What is the value of these caves to us
today? In the novel, some who visit the caves are moved to participate; what
do you think causes that impulse?
6. Ayla is a constant source of change and innovation for which she is both
rewarded and punished. What difficulties does she face because of her
tendency to challenge the status quo? What is the difference between Ayla,
a woman, initiating change, versus a man introducing it? Do you think people
today adapt differently to change?
7. When Balderan had to be punished for his crimes, did you agree with the
decision of the Zelandonia (see chapter 25)? Ayla’s feelings about being
directly involved are mixed, but the intended punishment was not carried
out; what did you think about the mob’s reaction? Has justice evolved?
8. Sex is an important part of social interaction in The Land of Painted Caves
and the earlier books in Auel’s Earth’s Children® series. How are our society’s
thoughts about sex different or the same as the Zelandonii’s?
9. How does the tension between Ayla’s role as a wife and mother and her
training to become one of the Zelandonia impact the events of the novel?
Does this struggle resonate with you today? How? Why?
10. One of the themes in this book is jealousy. Jondalar confronts the most
extreme jealousy of his life when Ayla turns to someone else, and Ayla
experiences jealousy for the first time. What were some causes and results
of jealousy between the characters in this novel? Why do the Zelandonii
condemn jealousy and work so hard to eradicate it?
11. Ayla has had to deal with immense losses in her life, and a great sacrifice is
required during her calling. What did you feel about her loss? What is the
connection between losing her baby and learning the end of the Mother’s
song?
12. What makes Ayla risk concocting the root brew she learned to make in The
Clan of the Cave Bear again? What did she discover by using the roots to
travel to the spirit world? Do you think her decision was inevitable?
13. How has Ayla’s and Jondalar’s relationship changed since they first met?
How has it stayed the same? Does this reflect the rhythm of a modern
relationship? If so, how, and if not, why? What remains their greatest
challenge as a couple?
14. What are some of the implications of Ayla’s revelation that men and women
are equally involved in creating children (distinct from the Neanderthal
society’s belief that the individual’s totems vie for dominance and the
Cro-Magnon society’s belief that the Mother chooses the man’s spirit to mix
with the woman’s spirit when She blesses a woman)?
15. At the end of The Land of Painted Caves, author Jean M. Auel has
illuminated many aspects of her characters’ stories, begun thirty years
ago in The Clan of the Cave Bear. What most surprised you? What most
satisfied? And do dedicated readers still have any questions?
16. Jean M. Auel has stated that when she ends this series, she will miss Ayla—a
character who she claims to know better than some of her friends. Other
than Ayla, which character featured in The Land of Painted Caves will you
miss most, or which character remains most clearly etched in your mind?
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