The Caves of Perigord
A Novel
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4.3 • 66 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
In a brilliant and ambitious thriller that combines elements of Jean Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear and Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth into a riveting, multifaceted tale of love, art, courage, and war, Martin Walker brings to life the creation of an extraordinary work of prehistoric cave art and the struggle to possess it in our own time.
Martin Walker’s richly interwoven novel opens with the arrival of a mysterious package for a young American woman working in a London auction house. Brought by a British officer, it contains a 17,000-year-old fragment of a cave painting left to him by his father, a former World War II hero.
The fragment, significant and stunning in itself, is also the key to the existence of an un-known cave that may be more important in the history of art and human creation than the world-famous one at Lascaux. It triggers a storm of publicity and commands the attention of the French authorities all the way up to the President of the Republic, who seems to know more about the painting's origins than anyone else...
As the young American woman, the British officer, and a French government art historian explore the ancient province of Périgord to determine the painting’s origins, their search serves as backdrop for three compelling stories. There is the tale of the British officer’s father who lands in Nazi-occupied France in 1944 to organize the Resistance, culminating in a series of battles to prevent the SS Das Reich Panzer Division from reaching the Normandy beaches in time to repel the D-Day invasion, which leads to an account of the subsequent discovery—and cover-up—of the lost cave and its paintings. And there is also the moving story of the young artist who painted them, the woman he loved, and the ancient culture that produced the first recognizable human art but required the sacrifice of its own creators.
Filled with vivid, historically accurate details and imaginative re-creations of prehistoric life, The Caves of Périgord blends a complex plot and richly diverse characters into a seamless narrative of romance, tragedy, and heroism from past to present.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The discovery of a fragment of a prehistoric cave painting stirs up old passions in modern Europe in this busy, fact-driven fourth novel by commentator and journalist Walker (America Reborn). When Maj. Philip Manners approaches auction house expert Lydia Dean about an object inherited from his father, he expects merely to turn a quick profit. But Lydia is alarmed: the fragment appears to be from an uncharted French cave and was probably obtained illegally. It is stolen from the auction house, prompting an intense reaction from French President Fran ois Malrand. Having set up the theft as an elaborate McGuffin, Walker then shifts to the "V z re Valley, approximately 15,000 B.C.," and the story of how young cave-dwellers Little Moon and Keeper of the Deer fall tragically in love and defy authorities by painting with unprecedented realism. The story leaps ahead to 1944 France, to describe how Malrand, aided by Manners's father, Jack, and an uncouth American named McPhee trained the French Resistance to fight the Germans and in the process stumbled upon the cave. The shifts from story to story make for a neat gimmick but an awkward package: despite the link of the fragment, the three stories often get in each other's way. Though much of the detail is fascinating, Walker devotes more energy to describing WWII technology and warfare than to developing the characters. In the end, it's the cave painting that is most vivid here. and frequent appearances on CNN and NPR under his belt, Walker's name alone ensures respectable sales. The cover a cave drawing emblazoned with a red swastika will catch browsers' eyes.
Customer Reviews
Specialized
Although I greatly enjoyed this novel, I wouldn't recommend it to many of my friends. Following a story in three different time periods can be difficult. Also, some knowledge of the Resistance is almost necessary to comprehend that thread of the novel. The ending is just a bit anticlimactic. I don't think the theft of the artifact was necessary to further the plot. Still, the idea that more treasures from the past are out there waiting to be found is inspiring.
The Caves of Perigord, by Martin Walker
Fantastic novel and history lesson, brilliant recounting of French Resistance during WW II and a moving paean to art and the artists who gave us our first museums in the hallowed caves of the valley of humankind. Bravo!
If you have read any of Martin Walker's "Bruno, Chief of Police" mysteries (that's the first title), you will love the Caves novel, for it features some characters and wines and the compelling region of those books in a beautifully crafted work of research, imagination, and storytelling. Truly excellent. - Jeremy Joan Hewes
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