The long-awaited sixth book in Jean Auel's Earth Children Series will be published in March 2011

Jean M. Auel, whose novels about prehistoric life have won her recognition and acclaim throughout the world, has written the highly-anticipated sixth and final book in the Earth's Children Series.

THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES will be published in hardcover simultaneously in all territories with deals so far in the UK, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, Norway, Serbia, Spain and Sweden.

Earth's Children is one of the most popular series in publishing history, with worldwide sales of more than 45 million copies. The last novel in the series, THE SHELTERS OF STONE, debuted at Number 1 on sixteen international bestseller lists.

THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES continues the story of Ayla, her mate Jondalar, and their little daughter, Jonayla, as Ayla struggles to find a balance between her duties as a new mother and her training to become a Zelandoni - one of the Ninth Cave community's spiritual leaders and healers.