Preliminary identification
Photo reference
2 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a true first edition, first printing of Jean M. Auel's second novel in her celebrated Earth's Children series, complete with its original dust jacket. Published in 1982, this volume continues the epic prehistoric saga of Ayla, a Cro-Magnon woman orphaned and raised by Neanderthals.
Story
Published in 1982, this book continued a prehistoric saga that captivated millions. Jean M. Auel spent years researching ice-age survival techniques, even learning how to build an igloo and knit flint, to bring Ayla's world to life.
Maker / Origin
Jean M. Auel is an American author best known for her Earth's Children books, a six-novel series set in prehistoric Europe that has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. Before her literary success, she was a mother of five working as a credit manager, who decided to write a short story that grew into an obsessive, deeply researched lifetime project.
Condition & Value
The dust jacket shows minor shelf wear and light creasing along the top edge, but remains bright and intact. The internal pages appear clean and the binding is tight. Excellent overall condition for its age, which helps preserve its modest collector value.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.