Jean M. Auel

Jean M. Auel, born Jean Marie Untinen on February 18, 1936, is an American writer best known for her series called Earth's Children. These books tell stories set in prehistoric Europe, showing how people lived long ago.

Her stories focus on the lives of Cro-Magnon people and how they interacted with Neanderthals, another group of ancient humans. Through her books, Auel helps readers imagine what daily life was like many thousands of years ago.

The Earth's Children series has become very popular, with many readers enjoying her stories about life in ancient times. Jean M. Auel's work has made prehistory interesting for many people, encouraging curiosity about our ancient ancestors.

Early years

Jean Marie Auel was born in 1936 in Chicago. She came from a family of Finnish background. Auel went to the University of Portland, where she earned a business degree. During her time there, she worked at Tektronix in different jobs. She also joined a group called Mensa. Over the years, she received special honors from several universities, including her own school, Pacific University, Portland State University, the University of Maine, and the Mount Vernon College for Women.

Career as novelist

In 1977, Jean M. Auel began learning about the Ice Age for her first book. She took a survival class to learn useful skills, like building an ice cave and making fire. She was taught by Jim Riggs from the aboriginal community.

Her first book, The Clan of the Cave Bear, became very popular and was even made into a movie. Because her books were so well liked, Auel got to visit real prehistoric places and meet the experts she wrote about. She traveled across Europe from France to Ukraine, seeing places called Old Europe. In 1986, she helped organize an important meeting about human history in Santa Fe. She also became friends with Doctor Jean Clottes from France, who studied famous caves like the Cosquer Cave and the Chauvet Cave. In 2008, she was honored by France for her contributions to art and literature.

Works

Jean M. Auel wrote a series of books called Earth's Children. Her books became very popular and were read all over the world. The last book, The Land of Painted Caves, came out in 2011.

The books in the series are:

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear, 1980
2. The Valley of Horses, 1982
3. The Mammoth Hunters, 1985
4. The Plains of Passage, 1990
5. The Shelters of Stone, 2002
6. The Land of Painted Caves, 2011

Personal life

Jean Marie Untinen married Ray Bernard Auel after high school. They have five children and live in Portland, Oregon, in the Goose Hollow neighborhood.