Though attributed to men of consequence, the first remarkable finds were made by the poor working-class Anning family-and their young daughter, Mary. And we'd like to read more of Tracy Chevalier's books in the future.The discoveries of fossils on the beaches of Lyme Regis, England, in the 19th century rocked the world and opened the minds of scientists to the planet's unimaginable age and the extinction of species. We liked the writing style and the way the book ended in a positive way. Everyone thought the book made an interesting social commentary on how women were treated in this period. These observations led the group to a further discussion about women's opportunities and how women's roles have changed over the last two centuries. Molly Anning also, Mary's mother, gradually took on the role of a businesswoman and made deals with the fossil buyers.
Both of these women, as their story progressed, grew in confidence as they grew in learning, and ended by making an impression on the academic community and having their voices heard and their views made known. Elizabeth Philpot was seen as a lady and had some education, but as a spinster she had little status and was viewed as an eccentric by most people in Lyme. The women in the story were marginalised, socially and intellectually, by reason of their gender Mary Anning was also largely disregarded because she came from the working classes and had no education and little money. The author did not enter into the scientific debate or the theories of evolution or of geology, but she did stimulate interest in the subjects, we thought. Why did God create animals for which He then decided he had no further use? was the question it posed. We were interested in the way the book presented the dilemma about evolution, and what the fossils were and what they meant. We found it interesting and readable, learnt a lot from it, identified with the characters, and thought it made a good tale, taken from historical facts.
The reading group, with unusual unanimity, all thought this was a very good book and enjoyed reading it. St Just Monday Morning Reading Group 24th February 2020.
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