The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron
Forty thousand years in the past, the last family of Neanderthals roams the earth. After a crushingly hard winter, their numbers are low, but Girl, the oldest daughter, is just coming of age and her family is determined to travel to the annual meeting place and find her a mate.
But the unforgiving landscape takes its toll, and Girl is left alone to care for Runt, a foundling of unknown origin. As Girl and Runt face the coming winter storms, Girl realizes she has one final chance to save her people, even if it means sacrificing part of herself.
In the modern day, archaeologist Rosamund Gale works well into her pregnancy, racing to excavate newly found Neanderthal artifacts before her baby comes. Linked across the ages by the shared experience of early motherhood, both stories examine the often taboo corners of women’s lives.
Haunting, suspenseful, and profoundly moving, The Last Neanderthal asks us to reconsider all we think we know about what it means to be human.
I picked this book up from the shelf in my local library called “Librarian’s Choice.”
This shelf usually provides quite a diverse selection of all kinds of genres and I love seeing what lands there.
This one was pretty intriguing and had a lot of promise…BUT a few chapters in and I was like “Ohhhh mannnnn.”
It was pretty slow at first…I was hoping the story would pick up a bit as it progressed along…but it most definitely did not.
The book switches back and forth between a Neanderthal woman and a modern day woman…and OMGGGG the Neanderthal chapters were SOOOO HEAVYYY on all the descriptions.
Obviously there isn’t going to be much in the form of dialogue but GEEZZZ…. so many words just to describe alllll the things.
SO. MANY. WORDS.
and BORING words for that matter.
They DO paint a good mental picture but I feel like it just was EXCESSIVE verbal usage, yall.
While I love the kind of book that switches narratives back and forth, the transitions between chapters in this one were weird. For the most part they weren’t very smooth or connective and just happened abruptly.
I didn’t get super interested in the storyline at all til the TAIL END…which was a little too late for me.
There were interesting parallels made and stark differences drawn between the two characters in regard to women and family as well as communal roles, expectations and responsibilities.
In some ways, it surprisingly seemed easier, better and more cohesive to live as a Neanderthal female…and in other ways it seemed HARD AF and downright miserable.
The underlying message and connection between the two character’s stories is that all beings desire and NEED connection with others….not just for enjoyment but for survival.
I think we modern humans forget this SO many times over–ESPECIALLY as Americans–we think we can do everything on our own and that we SHOULD do everything on our own.
But…that is NOT how we are composed deep down OR how we are supposed to live. We are made to be with others, to help each other, support each other, learn from each other.
We can’t thrive OR survive without one another.
Plenty of difficulties arise in a plethora of ways when we forget this simple concept.
So…this was a good message in a not so good read.
Another book falls into the “Meh” category for me, yall.
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