The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron
Wow. This book blew me away. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I requested it from the library; I have a vague recollection of knowing it was about an archaeologist and a neanderthal, and that was it. It was so much more that I am declaring it to be one of my favorite books of 2017. Two stories, thousands of years apart, yet entwined together. Rose is an archaeologist working in France in a cave where she has recently made a ground-breaking discovery: the skeletal remains of a Neanderthal and the remains of a "modern" human, buried together facing each other. This find will turn the idea of Neanderthals going extinct through extermination by modern humans completely around. Many will doubt the clear evidence, as they are happy to continue to believe Neanderthals were, well, neanderthal-ish in their lifestyle and behavior, and were incapable of intersecting and living with modern humans. This will make Rose's career. The other story is told by Girl. She is