content: Perhaps I was expecting too much, given the long wait since book four, and considering that I thoroughly enjoyed the other four books in the series. However, this book for me was nothing but a brain dulling barrage of introductions and recaps of the other books in the series. In fact, I must admit that I did not finish reading this book. After 200 pages of pure "nothing," I finally decided to discard it. I had help with this decision, though. A good friend of mine began listening to the book on tapes at the same time I began reading. She finished--only because she has a long commute and nothing better to do--and quickly informed me that absolutely "nothing" happens, that there is no drama, action, or any form of brain teasing within the pages of this new book from Jean Auel.