...by Tracy Chevalier
In this book, Chevalier tells the story of Elizabeth Philpot, and her friendship with Mary Anning in Lyme Regis, in or near the time of Jane Austen. Elizabeth and her two sisters have not married, and their newly wedded brother sends them off to live in Lyme, since there will no longer be a place for them in the family home. At first, Elizabeth considers this a death sentence; a place to be locked away and out of the way. But it is in Lyme that she discovers her first fossil along the beach. She becomes fascinated with it, and soon fills her days scouring the beach for more, becoming more and more knowledgeable as time passes. She befriends Mary, a young girl of lesser standing who has a talent for finding fossils, and this is their story, spanning several years, as told from their points of view.
This story is about many things. First of all, it’s fiction based on actual people and actual prehistoric finds. We see the women behind the history; the women who got none of the credit, of course, this being nineteenth century England. But more than that, we see how unmarried women, specifically those interested in science, were viewed during that period, and how they saw themselves and each other. Elizabeth almost sees herself as a fossil of sorts; maybe that’s why she’s so fascinated with them. We also see the birth of what would become a lifelong friendship between Elizabeth and Mary, and how social status, jealousy and thirst for fame nearly tear them apart.
There’s not a lot of suspense in this novel, as these are ordinary women, but at the same time remarkable creatures. This book was a joy from the first few pages as a quiet look at ordinary people who contributed greatly.
Loved it.
