A new employee joins the ranks, a young man, Cameron Cassmore, who has recently arrived in search of a father he never knew, and a mother who disappeared from his life when he was young. He’s not really qualified for much, employment-wise, and so it’s up to Tova to make sure he knows what the job entails. Cameron thinks he’s there just as a maintenance worker, but he’s surprised when there’s much more to this job than mopping floors. There’s Marcellus. And Marcellus is full of surprises.

The official record doesn’t offer much drama beyond Mary and her family being on the edge of going to the poor-house most given days. Very suspenseful if you are experiencing it, but not the most riveting plot for the reader. So I completely understand why Chevalier creates the rivalry between the two women for the attention of one un-noteworthy man. Still, it disappoints me. One the main ribbons running through this book is the changing role of women during this time period—getting recognition for their minds, not just their appearances, and loosening some of the conventions that bound them to child-rearing and household roles. Both of the main characters and all of the marine reptiles are indeed remarkable creatures. What is even more astonishing is that Mary Anning had little education and spent most of her early years in abject poverty.Oh, the realistic story is well done, don’t get me wrong. I loved both Tova and Cameron—both sympathetic and well-drawn. The writing is good. The plot is interesting and fast moving, but there is one huge coincidence that you have to buy into. I overlooked that the situation was unlikely because I liked the book so much. Also, the ending is a little too tight for my liking, but then again, it’s heartwarming. Who doesn’t want a feel-good ending these days? This book contains one of my absolute favorite themes--found family. And one could even include Marcellus in that mix because although his role in the story isn't very large, it is certainly impactful. As I mentioned, there are a plethora of coincidences in this novel, so you'll have to set that aside to enjoy the simple beauty of the tale if those types of things bother you. Cameron has a LOT of growing up to do, which he does through the course of the novel.

Stars. This was a charming story about family, friendships, loss, grief, aging, loneliness, unlikely connections and moving on. The story is set in a small town overlooking Puget Sound, Washington State.The narrators were absolutely great and the voice of Marcellus is just as I expected it would be, he is intelligent, a bit of a grouch but has formed a bond with Tova. Chevalier is not the only author to speculate about Anning's past and I will look forward to learning more about her life and times both in historical fiction,as well as from a variety of biographies. Some would say it's a slow novel, not much going on, but I like the way the writer describes the characters, with so much depth and humanity. And they are not the typical heroines, perfect women with strong wills who achieve what they resolve to. Oh no, no no...they are imperfect in so many ways, jealous of each other, angry with the world and sometimes unfair. I also like the way they share a strange passion: to collect fossils on the English shores, meanwhile the whole community goes crazy about these strange pair walking unaccompanied on the beach searching for "stones" . I had not the slightest idea about fossils and I didn't get bored when the book got into details about them. I found the "hunting, cleaning and collecting" process fascinating, so don't be put off by some readers' comments regarding this issue, as Chevalier manages to make a potentially weary subject into an engaging one with her humble and natural style. Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II. In 1810, a sister and brother uncover the fossilized skull of an unknown animal in the cliffs on the south coast of England. With its long snout and prominent teeth, it might be a crocodile – except that it has a huge, bulbous eye.