Resumo de The Valley Of Horses

The story begins where ?Clan of The Cave Bear? left off with seventeen year old Ayla cursed with death and wandering through the plains hoping to find the others. We also meet Jondalar and his brother, Thonolan, two brothers of the others who are setting off on a journey. The book begins by telling two separate stories; one is of Ayla?s survival in the valley and the other of Jondalar and Thonolan?s journey across miles of land and through various villages. Ayla is alone again as she was in the first book at the age of hour, only now she is grown. She misses the clan members and wishes she could return. Iza had told her to find her own people. After traveling a long time Ayla stumbles upon a beautiful valley where a herd of horses live. She finds a cave that is perfect. It?s high enough from the ground to make sudden sneak attacks from dangers such as hyenas difficult, and it even has a hole at the top where smoke from a fire could go. Ayla worries for a time about the previous inhabitants who were lions. Would they be back? Weeks turn into months, seasons into years though. She knows she should leave her beautiful and peaceful valley. She can?t live alone forever. What if she were hurt? She is a medicine woman but what if she broke a leg or were knocked out? Who would help? Besides, the loneliness was too much to bear. To ease this aloneness, Ayla does something unheard of for this time period. She brings a young horse into her cave to live with her and cares for it, feeds it, and grows a unique relationship with it. Ayla?s will, determination, and intelligence aid her in her survival. She must figure out how to do things alone, things normally done by more than a few people. The highlight of the book comes when Ayla and Jondalar meet. She rescues him and nurses him back from a fatal attack. He is the first she?s ever seen of the Others and is fascinated. He teaches her how to talk his language enabling them to communicate. They both teach the other and share numerous skills, customs, and ideas. Jondalar is in awe of Ayla?s power, abilities and beauty, but eventually he must leave. Ayla is torn and struggles against her deep attraction to the handsome Zelandonii man with blue eyes. She thought only she and her son where the only ones without brown eyes. The wondering of how things will end up between these two and what decisions they make will keep readers turning pages, maybe into the wee hours of the night. Auel?s third person characterization is excellent. Readers will feel, see, hear, and experience the plot through the character?s eyes, especially Ayla?s. Her plotting is just right with combined twists, events, and struggles. The mood is one of adventure, warmth and of melancholy. Auel claims her books are story driven, not research driven. So, even though there is much to be learned about the time period and more, the book is about the tale first. As Auel does with all her books, she gives acknowledgement to those who contributed and helped her attain information and taught her. She learned skills such as how to throw a spear, how bulrushes make sleeping mats, how to pressure-flake a stone tool, and how to squish deer brains ? ?Who would have thought that could turn deer hide into velvety soft leather.? Says Auel. Sixty-five year old Jean M. Auel lives with her husband in Oregon and is currently researching the sixth book in her series.

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