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Quick answer: If you loved Jean Auel, read Jean M. Auel's The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Valley of Horses and The Mammoth Hunters, then Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear's People of the Wolf, then Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, and Anita Diamant's The Red Tent and Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. All are prehistoric epics.
Jean M. Auel's The Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) follows Ayla, a girl raised by Neanderthals. These picks share its sweeping scale.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Clan of the Cave Bear | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the series start |
| The Valley of Horses | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the second book |
| The Mammoth Hunters | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the third book |
| The Plains of Passage | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the fourth book |
| People of the Wolf | Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear | Adult | North American prehistory |
| Outlander | Diana Gabaldon | Adult | historical romance |
| The Red Tent | Anita Diamant | Adult | readers who like women's communities |
| The Mists of Avalon | Marion Zimmer Bradley | Adult | readers who want a novel |
| The Pillars of the Earth | Ken Follett | Adult | readers who like epics |
| Sarum | Edward Rutherfurd | Adult | epic of a place |
| The Physician | Noah Gordon | Adult | medieval medicine |
| Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | Adult | geography and history |
| The Power of One | Bryce Courtenay | Adult | coming of age |
| Memoirs of a Geisha | Arthur Golden | Adult | readers who like detailed settings |
| The Nightingale | Kristin Hannah | Adult | readers who want a big emotional story |
1. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
A young girl is adopted by Neanderthals. The book that began the series.
Best for: the series start.
2. The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel
Ayla survives alone in a valley and learns to tame animals. Absorbing and romantic.
Best for: the second book.
3. The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel
Ayla meets a new community. Long and detailed.
Best for: the third book.
4. The Plains of Passage by Jean M. Auel
Ayla and Jondalar travel across Ice Age Europe. A long journey.
Best for: the fourth book.
5. People of the Wolf by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear
The first people cross into North America. Detailed and vivid.
Best for: North American prehistory.
6. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A nurse in 1945 falls through stones into 1743 Scotland. Romance, history and adventure.
Best for: historical romance.
7. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The biblical story of Dinah told from the women's perspective. Rich in detail about women's lives.
Best for: readers who like women's communities.
8. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The King Arthur story told from the women's perspective. Long, rich and influential.
Best for: readers who want a novel.
9. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
A master builder, a monk and a noble family struggle over a cathedral in 12th-century England. Long, gripping and emotional.
Best for: readers who like epics.
10. Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd
The story of Salisbury Plain from the Ice Age to modern times. Sprawling and rich.
Best for: epic of a place.
11. The Physician by Noah Gordon
A boy from England becomes a healer and travels to Persia. Long and rewarding.
Best for: medieval medicine.
12. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Diamond argues that geography shaped the rise of societies. Controversial but influential.
Best for: geography and history.
13. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
A boy in South Africa learns boxing and survival. Long, popular and inspiring.
Best for: coming of age.
14. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Sayuri tells her life as a geisha in Kyoto. Lush and famous, though it is a novel by a Western author.
Best for: readers who like detailed settings.
15. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Two sisters in occupied France take different paths of resistance. A moving bestseller.
Best for: readers who want a big emotional story.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Jean Auel: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Jean Auel. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For prehistory, read People of the Wolf. For epics, try Outlander. For history, pick The Red Tent.
Related: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Clan of the Cave Bear?
Jean M. Auel, in 1980.
Is it a series?
Yes, Earth's Children.
Is it explicit?
Parts are, so it suits adults.
Which book here is best for readers who want a big emotional story?
Try The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which suits readers looking for readers who want a big emotional story.
Which book here is best for readers who like detailed settings?
Try Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, which suits readers looking for readers who like detailed settings.
Which book here is best for coming of age?
Try The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, which suits readers looking for coming of age.
Which book here is best for geography and history?
Try Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, which suits readers looking for geography and history.