An utterly enchanting prehistorical novel set deep in our Stone-Age past, but resonating as a parable of our troubled planet 8,000 years on--an ecoparable, family saga, and Stone-Age adventure in one

Between Grandmother Mountain and the cold sea, Alaia and her family live off the land--but when one of her brothers goes hunting and never returns, the fragile balance of life is upset. Half-starved and maddened with grief, Alaia's mother follows her visions and goes in search of her lost son. When a stranger from a rival tribe appears on their hearth seeking shelter, they wonder if his stories of a great wave and a people perished are to be believed. What else could drive a man to travel alone between tribes in the depths of winter? Hopes of resolution come when Alaia's mother returns home as a "Go-Between," one able to commune with the spirits. But as all the Auk people come to get her for their annual Gathering Night, who there will listen to the voice of a woman? This is a compelling, genre-busting story of conflict, loss, love, adventure, and devastating natural disasters.