Remarkable Creatures

My mom gave me this book to read. She bought it at a shop in Cabo San Lucas when she was down there in May. I had never heard of it, or the author, Tracy Chevalier. She told me it wasn't the best book in the world, but an enjoyable read. I agree with her.

Set in 19th Century London, this is a story of a unusual but lasting friendship. Elizabeth Philpot is a spinster whose brother marries and so she and her 2 unmarried sisters are forced to relocate because the sister in law doesn't want them living in her house. She is given 150 pounds a year as "salary", which doesn't sound like much, but she is still part of the upper class. They relocate to Lyme Regis, a small village on the sea.

Mary is a young girl who was struck by lightning when she was young and has always been a little different. Her father is a cabinet maker and so she comes from the lower, working class.

Mary and Elizabeth meet on the shores of Lyme Regis and become friends, tied together by their love of fossils. You have to remember that at this time there wasn't much known about Natural History. I'm not quite sure if Darwin was before or after this time, but I think he was after. The common scientific belief was that everything was created by God and everything you see today is how God created it.

Mary finds a fossil that is unlike any they have seen before. They call it a "crocodile", but it doesn't look like one. There were terms used in the book that I never looked up, I just kind of used my inferencing skills to determine it was probably some kind of dinosaur. Anyway, this find makes Mary somewhat famous and people come from all over the country to find fossils with her. A series of events happen that cause Mary and Elizabeth to have a falling out. But after some years, Elizabeth helps Mary in a way that buries the hatchet.

I enjoyed the setting immensely. The author did a great job creating imagery throughout the book. The idea of being a part of cutting edge science as a woman at that time was interesting to me. Of course the modern woman looks back at that time with disdain, but I have to wonder if I would have gladly accepted the limits placed on me, or if I would have fought them. Not sure?! Although it took me a little while to get into the book, it kept my interest, which is a feat these days!