Set in the early 19th century, this novel tells the true story of two women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. Anning was a young woman who searched the beach at Lyme Regis for fossils that she could sell to tourists, thereby supplementing her families meagre income. It is believed that Mary Anning’s finds are source of the tongue twister “She sells sea shells by the sea shore.”
Philpot, along with her two sisters, had fallen on hard times and therefore had moved to Lyme Regis from London. Soon, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot are united by their interest in the strange creatures imprinted in the rocks.
Whilst fragments of dinosaur bones had been discovered before, even if nobody knew what they were, Mary Anning was the first to find a complete skeleton. At this time, it was commonly accepted that the Earth was six thousand years old and that all the creatures that now walked upon it had also been there at its birth. These finds resembled no animal in existence, so slowly the whole study of natural science was turned on its head.
Chevalier deftly blends historical fact with her own invention, switching perspectives from Anning to Philpot and then back again. This is a light, easy read, highlighting the remarkable story of Mary Anning and her discoveries.
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