THE SHELTERS OF STONE

From the first notes of the African-inspired tribal music that introduces the audio version of Jean M. Auel's newest book, listeners know they are being transported to another time and place--Pleistocene Europe at the end of the last Ice Age, with Cro-Magnon Ayla and Jondalar as our guides. Auel, who is renowned for her research, fills the novel with most of what is known and some of what is supposed about life 30,000 years ago. Sometimes the plot creaks under the weight of the data. Yet Sandra Burr's light, well-inflected American voice and plot-driven narration help keep listeners hooked. Burr is adept at reading the detailed descriptions of Cro-Magnon artifacts without losing our interest and at creating varied portrayals of the many characters. A fine performance of a long-awaited book. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]