She is able to take the shape of any animal she desires. As a wolf she runs far and wide, ostensibly to chase game towards the waiting and starving hunters. But with a wolf's brain she can't always remember that that is her task. As a raven she flies with the group on their travels and as a mamomoth she investigates the other mammouth herds. Thomas skillfully ties the two stories together, alternating chapter by chapter.
Winter is hard, starvation and hungry animals are a constant threat.
Summer is easier, but very short. With luck the group manages to kill one mammouth by creating a rock avalanche that throws it down a cliff. Of course much of the meat spoils before they can finish it, but there is plenty of food for a while. Most of the waking hours are spent chasing food or preparing clothing or tools. The short biography of Elizabeth Marshall Thomas says that she has spent time studying hunting and gathering cultures around the world.