In 1847, Mellie Vale has chicken pox and was taken into care by the local physician's family due to her family situation. Mellie was just feeling better when Dr. Pearson's wife told Mellie of her upcoming travel. Mellie would accompany the family's daughters, Lydia and Bea, and friends Ella and Grace Ketteringham to Bow Wow for their annual visit, staying with Anthea Winstanley. All the girls would be helping Anthea search for fossils. Fossils. Why would Mellie want to search for fossils? It didn't feel lucky at the time as it was another unknown.

In 1919, Penelope Jane Martindale is in London, waiting for Sam as agreed at the Natural History Museum. Penelope wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye to Sam. They'd become close friends on the battlefields of France, driving ambulances in the most unspeakable conditions of war. It was time for Captain Samuel Groves to return to America. PJ will return to Australia hoping to mend the relationship with her father. She knows her father is grieving the loss of his sons as she mourns the loss of her younger brothers. Will the experience at the museum while waiting for Sam help PJ pay tribute to her brothers?

The author writes compelling historical fiction, bringing awareness to Australian history with atmospheric writing, meticulous research, and creativity. The beauty of the author's storytelling for me is the weave of dual timelines, building a tapestry that brings an understanding of past events, discoveries, and experiences beyond the clinical facts and data of textbooks, lab, or fieldwork. Not diminishing the factual presentations but adding vital worth to history unveiling and humanizing those who lived it and the impact on their lives and beyond.

Historical Note and Discussion Questions are available at the end of the novel. ( )

Tea Cooper is one of the few current day foreign authors whose work I follow. She is an established Australian author of clean, historical fiction. I have truly enjoyed each of her books that I have read, and I was happy to receive a complimentary copy of The Fossil Hunter from Harper Muse via NetGalley without obligation. It is a pleasure to share my opinions with other fans of historical fiction.

While I am not a fan of Darwin, The Fossil Hunter did not delve deeply enough into his work to tarnish my enjoyment of the book. The unanswered questions about the fossils found as well as those possibly still hidden in Bow Wow Gorge were compelling, but even more so were the questions regarding the fate of the fictional Anthea Winstanley and her adopted daughter Mellie Vale. The role of Providence in the story was also something to mull over. Tea Cooper's writing style is relaxed, yet builds the tension required for full engagement with a story. As an American, I love the glimpses into Australian culture and vocabulary. Cooper has done a wonderful job balancing and connecting the two timelines separated by about seventy years. I highly recommend The Fossil Hunter. ( )

Penelope Jane has left her home in Wollombi, NSW, and travelled to Europe to assist near the front line during World War One. She is an ambulance driver, assisting with the transportation of injured soldiers, and in doing so meets an American Sam Groves, who has fallen for her. Prior to returning to Australia at war's end she visits the Natural History Museum in London, interested in learning something of the fossils her late brothers had found at Bow Wow Gorge near their NSW home. This visit sets her on a path to discover so much more, and upon Sam's proposal to her, they both return to her home where they become embroiled in the secrets of the Gorge. An intriguing story for lovers of historical fiction. ( )

Australian based paleontological historical novel - BowWow Gorge
set in two time periods; 1847 when fossils were found, 1919 Penelope Jane returns home after her brothers die in WW1 and begins looking around for clues to where the fossils had been found but also discovers a skeleton and an elderly lady who isn't telling too much about her past. ( )