The Shelters of Stones.

Jean M. Auel. 2002 Read by Sandra Burr 20 tapes. 33 hrs. Brilliance 158788-990-0. $189.25. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. SA

This fourth book in the popular Earth's Children series (which began with The Clan of the Cave Bear) continues the epic saga of Ayla and her mate Jondalar as they reach the end of their journey across Upper Paleolithic Europe and arrive at Jondalar's home, the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, in what is now southwestern France. Ayla, who had been adopted and brought up by a Neanderthal tribe, finds the culture of these Cro Magnons as strange and fascinating as they find hers. Within the framework of the love story, which is written in journeyman prose and comparably plotted, Auel works in voluminous quantities of detail from her extensive archaeological and paleoanthropological research about these early modern humans whose intellectual and emotional capacities were comparable to ours. In an interview included on the final tape, Auel explains that hers is a possible interpretation of the available data, although it is not the mainstream interpretation.

Burr does a competent, serviceable narration, with a range of distinct accents and characterizations. For this newcomer to the series, the cultural history and scientific information are the real appeal Jacqueline S. Edwards, Bedford, MA