Ayla is a courageous and indomitable young woman whose story begins when she is a five-year-old orphan adopted by the Clan, a group of Neanderthal people. Ayla is cared for by the Clan's medicine woman Iza and its wise holy man Creb. Iza teaches her how to find food and the healing skills known only to her line, but Ayla must also learn the ways of the Clan. Full of curiosity, interest and rebelliousness, she does not always obey the Clan's rules and so 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 M. Auel is an international phenomenon. With the publication of The Clan of the Cave Bear, the first novel in her Earth's Children® sequence, she achieved unprecedented critical and commercial success which has continued to the present day.

Rowena Cooper's many stage credits include Bird Calls, The Daughter-in-Law and The House of Bernarda Alba, while among her TV appearances are The Bill, Down to Earth, Spaced, Playing the Field, Midsomer Murders, State of Mind and A is for Acid. Among her films is Shooting Fish.