The Clan of the Cave Bear
Jean M. Auel
491 pages
The story of Ayla begins when, as a 5-year-old orphan, she is adopted by the Clan, a group of Neanderthals. Initially she inspires surprise, then wariness and finally acceptance by the Clan. She is cared for by its medicine woman, Iza, and its wise holy man, Creb. But she makes an implacable enemy of the group's future leader, Broud. He will do all he can to destroy her - but Ayla is a survivor. Jean Auel's imaginative reconstruction of pre-historic life, rich in detail of language, culture, myth and ritual, has become a set text in schools and colleges around the world
This book is so captivating that you won't be able to put it down, just like I couldn't until the early hours of the morning!
The first book is a must-read, though the series gets iffy later on.