Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier's book "Remarkable Creatures" reminds me of the many times I've spent on the shores of Lake Michigan searching for crinoids and colored glass.  "Remarkable Creatures" is the story of a young girl Mary Anning who, when just a baby is struck by lightening thus giving her what many people believe to be a special gift.  Mary has a special "gift" for locating fossils buried deep in the cliffs and on the beaches near her home in Lima, England.  She helps supports her family by finding and selling these fossils.  She meets a young woman named Elizabeth Phipot who shares her desire to roam the cliffs and beaches and search for fossils as well.  What Mary discovers however, is more than just fossils and leads these two women to a lifetime of friendship, scurtiny, and discovery.