THE LAST NEANDERTHAL by Claire Cameron is a book I’ve been meaning to read for a longgg time – and I’m glad I finally did! If follows a young Neanderthal woman “Girl”, as well as an anthropologist in the modern day, who has just discovered the bones of Girl. The perspective shifts every few chapters as the two women’s lives seem to parallel one another. The gist of it is that Neanderthals, generally dismissed as an inferior species because they went extinct and we didn’t, actually have quite a bit in common with humans. Very interesting!

A compelling read about humans, Neanderthals, archaeology, motherhood, and survival.

Award-winning author Claire Cameron blends modern scientific research, compassion and wisdom to tell a story of evolution, community and struggle that spans thousands of years.

Rose, a modern-day archaeologist discovers irrefutable proof that modern humans co-habitated with Neanderthals. In the distant past, the Neanderthal Girl lives with family and faces the daily challenges with those she loves. Meanwhile, Rose does the same.

This is a book that challenges modern assumptions about Neanderthals, motherhood and the place of community in our lives. There is some sex, and some readers may be upset by graphic descriptions of violence toward animals. The story is engaging and hard to put down.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada and Doubleday Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being a Canadian, I always like to read and review Canadian authors. I read Cameron's The Bear for a book club selection, I didn't love it, but I was eager to give her another chance.

An interesting premise—Cameron juxtaposes the last Neanderthal family against a parallel modern-day storyline. Initially I was unsure, Neanderthals? After finishing The Last Neanderthal, I'm glad that I requested something that normally I wouldn't be attracted to.

40,000 years in the past, the last Neanderthals are fighting for survival after a hard-fought winter. Their numbers are low, but Girl is coming of age and her family are determined to make the trek to the annual meeting place in hopes of securing her a mate to carry on their species. The small family's existence is further threatened by the elements and nature and Girl is left to care for Runt, a small foundling of unknown descent. Once again, Girl and Runt must face the winter and risk their survival.

In modern-day France, we meet archaeologist Rosamund Gale who has just learned that she is pregnant and worried about the repercussions of having a baby. The site that Rose is working at contains the remains of a female Neanderthal that appears to be embracing a Homo Sapiens male—were they lovers? This startling discovery has scientists reevaluating what they believed were our origins. With a race against impending motherhood, Rose does not want to give up her work after making incredible strides in a male-dominated field of study. She often has to defend her position simply because she is a woman. Rose begins to feel an incredible amount of pressure as the project in jeopardy of losing funding, and she has just learned that she is the sole bread winner after her partner Simon loses his teaching position.

Rose and Girl are linked through time by their pregnancies and experiences of what it means to be a woman, a mother, and to survive.

Primal, raw, and unique, this was an interesting read.

The Last Neanderthal is an innovative new novel from the author of The Bear. Once again, Cameron uses a haunting, unexpected voice to tell a story that explores what it means to be human, particularly as a woman. This novel connects two women who are separated by 40,000 years – and yet they both face the same struggles and taboos as they attempt to reconcile motherhood with their own desires.

Thousands of years ago, in what is now France, Girl is the oldest daughter in a close-knit Neanderthal family. They are hunters and gatherers, with minimal language, and yet they find ways to express themselves and their feelings for each other. Big Mother is the respected matriarch, doing her best to raise her children to be strong and healthy. However, she cannot prevent Girl from growing up and exploring her newfound sexuality in dangerous ways. As the family travels to their annual meeting place to find Girl a mate, they face many problems along the way – including their own complex relationships.

In present day France, archaeologist Rosamunde Gale makes an incredible discovery – a Neanderthal female buried in an intimate embrace with a Homo Sapiens male. As Rose and her assistant slowly reveal the burial site, they realize that it could lead to a reevaluation of everything we know about our human roots. While scientists formerly scorned Neanderthals as an inferior species that was simply a step on the way to Homo Sapiens evolution, we now know that Neanderthal DNA can be found in up to four percent of the current European and Asian populations. The exposure of Rose’s cross-species couple could be the answer to how this happened - instead of a stepping stone in evolution, the Neanderthals were perhaps close cousins and even lovers to Homo Sapiens.

When she finds out that she’s pregnant, Rose races to finish her excavation before it is taken from her by the male financial backers who don’t believe that motherhood is compatible with the rigors of archaeology. Simply because of her gender, Rose is forced to defend her abilities to continue the job at which she excels – she struggles to succeed as a working woman, providing for her family both financially and emotionally. As we jump to the past, Girl’s journey is also fraught with disaster – small issues soon become life-threatening, and the family diminishes quickly. Girl is left alone to care for Runt, a child who was adopted into the family, and she realizes how much more difficult it is to survive the winter with the responsibilities of a child.

There is a clear link between the two women across time, as they struggle to reconcile their work and desires with the obligations of family and the strict bonds of being female. From Girl to Rose, 40,000 years have passed and yet it is still taboo for a woman to put herself before her family. While science and archaeology continue to show us that our past is much more complex than we realize, it is also true that the Neanderthal girl and the Homo Sapiens woman share more than just DNA.

This novel is an exploration of what it means to be human, specifically as a woman today, and how it is reflected on our past. It shows that survival always comes with compromise, and ultimately sacrifice. Both Girl and Rose follow their biological imperative to preserve their people, and yet they show us that there is room for individual desires and successes within their female roles. It is fascinating to see that an examination of a girl who lived thousands of years ago, can teach us about being human in the world today.

I received this book from Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.