Fossil Whisperers

Book excerpt: The Civil War has just ended as a fervent interest in the exploration of fossils in the American West begins. Two paleontologistsOthniel Marsh of Yale College and Edward Cope of the Academy of Natural Sciencesare infected with fossil hunting fever. Eventually the antagonistic competitors publish their findings in scientific journals which instigates the Great Dinosaur Rush, also known as the Bone Wars. Jake Harding, a student at Yale, joins the 1870 scientific expedition to the West headed by Professor Marsh. Captivated by the wonders of the western frontier, Jake takes up permanent residence at a Wyoming ranch and soon meets Jen, a feisty frontier woman who steals his heart. While Jake faces the perils of challenging terrains, harsh weather, deadly encounters with bandits, and a skirmish with Indians as he feeds his fossil hunting addiction, he wonders about his competence as a student of paleontology and life. When tragedy strikes, Jake is left at the mercy of his memory as he attempts to recall his purpose and somehow find his way back home. In this historical adventure, an intelligent and determined 1870s fossil hunter journeys through the American West as he follows his dream to find romance and disaster.