“That’s how fossil hunting is: It takes over, like a hunger, and nothing else matters but what you find. And even when you find it, you still start looking again the next minute, because there might be something even better waiting.”
Elizabeth Philpot is sent away with her two spinster sisters to live in Lyme Regis by the sea when her brother marries. One sister socializes, one gardens and Elizabeth discovers fossil on the seashore. There she meets young Mary Anning who survived being struck by lightning as a baby. Mary has been finding fossils since she could walk and shows Elizabeth where to find them and how to clean them. While Elizabeth searches for fossils as a hobby, Mary’s livelihood depends on being able to sell them.
I was looking for my next book to read so I looked at some of the books that have been on my Goodreads to-read list for the longest. I saw Remarkable Creatures there and then it was available on Libby to check out as an ebook. I’ve read Girl With A Pearl Earring by Chevalier years ago and also enjoyed reading At The Edge of the Orchard by this author.
Mary Anning ends up finding one of the world’s first dinosaur fossils, but it’s in a time when men get credit. She sells the fossil and then more people want her to find one for them. Her discovery shakes the faith of many, leaving them wondering how God could create an animal and let it die off. Her integrity is cast into doubt when she discovers more types of dinosaurs. The friendship between Elizabeth and Mary is put to the test though it all.
I was fascinated to find out at the end of Remarkable Creatures that the book is based on true historical events. Mary Anning is actually one of the early discoverers of dinosaur fossils. The end of the book is full of the details of her actual story. I would recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction and readers high school age or older.
Did you know that one of the early discoverers of dinosaur fossils was a woman? Share your thoughts in the comments!