Author of Girl With a Pearl Earring, the 5 million copy bestseller
Tracy Chevalier is the author of ten novels, including At the Edge of the Orchard, Remarkable Creatures and Girl with a Pearl Earring, an international bestseller that has sold over five million copies and won the Barnes and Noble Discover Award. Born in Washington DC, in 1984 she moved to London, where she lives with her husband and son.
‘It is a stunning story, compassionately reimagined’ Guardian
‘Chevalier recently stated that making fossils sexy was one of her
chief aims in writing Remarkable Creatures. With this very
entertaining book, she has certainly succeeded’ Telegraph ‘Very
entertaining and informative’ The Times ‘The backdrop of shifting
evolutionary ideas finds a rueful echo in Chevalier’s tender
portrayal of two extraordinary women who refuse to be constrained
by society’ Sunday Telegraph ‘An enthralling novel of female
friendship and fossil hunting’
Woman & Home ‘An extraordinary tale about two 19th century women
who attempt to alter ideas about creationism with their discoveries
of dinosaur fossils’ Daily Mirror ‘Involving themes of friendship
and the hidden world of women as much as the excitement of
discovering the fossils’ significance, Remarkable Creatures is
itself a find’ Metro ‘Chevalier shows her skill for working
history’s lost individuals into far-reaching fiction’ Good
Housekeeping
'It is a stunning story, compassionately reimagined' Guardian
'Chevalier recently stated that making fossils sexy was one of her chief aims in writing Remarkable Creatures. With this very entertaining book, she has certainly succeeded' Telegraph
'Very entertaining and informative' The Times
'The backdrop of shifting evolutionary ideas finds a rueful echo in Chevalier's tender portrayal of two extraordinary women who refuse to be constrained by society' Sunday Telegraph
'An enthralling novel of female friendship and fossil
hunting'
Woman & Home
'An extraordinary tale about two 19th century women who attempt to alter ideas about creationism with their discoveries of dinosaur fossils' Daily Mirror
'Involving themes of friendship and the hidden world of women as much as the excitement of discovering the fossils' significance, Remarkable Creatures is itself a find' Metro
'Chevalier shows her skill for working history's lost individuals into far-reaching fiction' Good Housekeeping
In early 1800s England, unmarried women of the upper classes were often relegated to the fringes of society, where they could find a polite way to spend their days; those of the lower classes had even fewer options. This work, based on a true story, portrays two women from these diverse backgrounds who share a fascination with fossils. Mary Anning is an impoverished girl with a gift for finding prehistoric skeletons along the coast, which also interest genteel spinster Elizabeth Philpot. She recognizes Mary's talent as she also understands the enormous implications of the specimens uncovered, for this was before Darwin, when the concept of extinction was unknown, and it was blasphemous to consider that some of God's creatures may have been flawed. Over time, both women strive for scientific credibility, love, and financial stability, with varying degrees of success. Verdict Superbly creating a unique setting, as she did in The Girl with a Pearl Earring, Chevalier captures the atmosphere of a chilly, blustery coast and an oppressive social hierarchy in real Dickensian fashion. Readers of historical fiction will enjoy this fascinating tale of rustic paleontology. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/09.]-Susanne Wells, P.L. of Cincinnati & Hamilton Cty. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
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