Reviews

Bone Lines by Stephanie Bretherton

endlessmidnight's review

2.0

This was just not what I expected to read. Initially, I was keen upon the idea. But the story just took way too long to head anywhere.

It was rather interesting to read about Elosie. But the story Just didn’t seem to be working with her. There was a copious amount of description about something but nothing really solid over the while. And that the most interesting part had been about a main character lamenting about how her eye color was going to be cut out.

If that was the main plot, I won’t have minded. But it was a tidbit of information that simply headed nowhere.

The plot just took too long to really head anywhere it. It just didn’t seem to make sense or even know where it needed to go. Or even any interesting event that kept me reading.

The story just didn’t seem to know what it was trying to do. Or even what it needed to do. And when it fails to hook me by the halfway mark. I’m dropping it.

toofondofbooks's review

4.0

Bone Lines is set in two time lines. Eloise is geneticist in present day London and is going to be working on a skull that has been found, it’s a major archeological find and she knows this is going to be such important work. The novel also follows a woman 74,000 years ago. We see her give birth out in the open and then her struggles to keep herself and her child alive and well. The skull that Eloise is working with is named Sarah, and it’s apparent that this is the woman from the past.

I’ll be honest and say that initially I did find this novel a little hard to get into, I wasn’t sure where it was going and it’s so different from anything else that I’ve read in quite a while. A few chapters in though I felt it all began to make sense to me and I could see parallels between modern woman and the woman 74,000 years ago. At this point this book became compelling for me and I struggled to put it down.

Sarah clearly has a very difficult life, she is separated from her family and is unsure where exactly she is and whether she will ever encounter people she can join with again. She is terrified of anything happening to her child and is very protective. I felt such an emotional connection to Sarah. The way she honours the dead from her family, and the way she remembers her mother and longs for her after her child is born was incredibly moving. It really got to me in a way that I wasn’t expecting, I ignorantly assumed I wouldn’t really understand a woman who lived so long ago but this novel really made me think about how longing for our mothers, needing their support and protection at various times in our lives is such a universal human emotion. The book leaves you wondering if this innate feeling is genetic, or if it’s entirely just an emotional connection to the past.

Eloise is struggling with the issues that come with being a professional woman – ideas around having children, not having a husband etc that people often want to know about. She’s also working hard to discover if there’s a genetic link to suicide. She looks for answers about everything within science and is sure there are answers to be found. When she’s really finding it tough she starts writing letters to Charles Darwin, and while this might sound like a gimmick it actually really works within the book. It gave more insight into how Eloise thinks and feels and shows her ambition and why she strives in the way she does.

The further you get into the novel the more you see the parallels between the two women. The way they are both searching for a place to belong, a place where they fit in and feel safe. Sarah ponders on finding another group she can settle with, and Eloise seems to be looking for something that’s missing in her own life. It really opened my eyes to the universality of what humans are seeking, in spite of the circumstances of their life.

This is a beautifully written novel that explores science, evolution and emotion. It’s such an enjoyable read whilst also giving you something to think about. I’m so glad that I got the chance to read this, it feels like a book that will really stay with me. It’s made me want to read more about the period that Sarah was living and to understand how we got from there to here. I’m delighted to see that while this book stands on its own that a sequel is planned, I will definitely pre-order this book when it’s available!

A powerful, moving and fascinating novel!

This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com

karlou's review

5.0

Bone Lines is a dual narrative story that follows two women separated by thousands of years yet still connected through common themes which unite all of humanity. Eloise is a geneticist who is desperately eager to uncover the secrets of a 74,000-year-old female skeleton discovered by happy accident on Mount Kenya. The skeleton is given a media-friendly name, Sarah after Barack Obama's Kenyan grandmother and readers are taken back to ancient times when this extraordinary woman was forced into a nomadic existence following the Sumatran super-volcano eruption which left her alone and pregnant. Her story is one of desperate survival as she travels with her infant daughter, barely finding sustenance to support them both in the desolate, devastated lands she must pass through as she searches for a new place to call home. She risks almost constant danger as she must face the triple threat of the cold, hunger and other predators but her humanity is never in any doubt and far from being a primitive hunter, she is shown to be empathetic, loving and fiercely protective of her baby daughter. She may have lived thousands of years ago but it struck me that Sarah is not very different from the women who are still forced to migrate from their homes and withstand terrible hardships in order to protect their children today.
Eloise's struggles are more instantly recognisable to modern readers as she considers the moral, philosophical and religious complexities of her research even when driven by the desire for knowledge in her professional life. She ably contends with office politics, professional rivalries and religious fanaticism but acknowledges her personal affairs are rather less successful. She's perhaps not the easiest woman to understand initially and it took me a little while to feel as much affinity with her as I did with Sarah but as the story progresses I grew to really like her introspective nature and wry sense of humour. Both women are determined and courageous individuals but they are united by loss and regret as much as by what motivates them to keep going. They have lost their families and left behind lovers and though their circumstances are very different, there is a sense of loneliness which haunts them both. Bone Lines is unashamedly scientific with a focus on evolution, genetics and climate change and is written to be entirely plausible yet still accessible for the layperson. This is an intelligent, educational and thought-provoking novel which led me to consider just how medical genetics may shape the future of mankind.
However, for all the theorising, Bones Lines is a beautifully written, even occasionally wryly humorous book which at its heart is about love and how it continues to drive and inspire us. That our genetic material has adapted over time and yet still connects us to humans who walked upon the Earth thousands of years ago is both fascinating and humbling. At a time when our political landscape arguably sees us more divided than ever, I found this to be a rather soothing, thoughtful and necessary reminder that we all far more similar than we are different.

kleonard's review

1.0

The premise of this novel was interesting: two women, one ancient, one modern, whose stories come together when the modern woman is asked to study the bones of the ancient. The narrative moves back and forth between them, mostly parallel, as the author details the daily concerns and struggles both face. However, neither woman is very interesting, and their characters are flat and dull, which makes for some stultifying reading. In addition, the modern woman, who is primarily occupied by her sex life and potential partners, comes off as unprofessional and far more interested in the dynamics of her relationship with a co-worker and former lovers than anything else. While it's undoubtedly fascinating to her, for readers it's a lot of repetitive navel-gazing.

The ancient woman gives birth alone, must fight and kill a bear, and searches for a sustainable life. Her trek is only mildly more interesting that that of the modern woman, and the writing about both is riddled with cliches and stereotyping. Finally, the author apparently felt the need to educate her readers, which she attempts to do through a series of incredibly asinine and pedantic letters the modern woman writes to Charles Dickens in a one-sided conversation.

luluallison's review

This book is absolutely bursting with thought-provoking ideas and passages. Between the stories of two fascinating women we are offered the opportunity to think about our deep human past and our possible future. A really gripping, intelligent read.

daniellelouis_'s review

5.0

I’d like to say that I recently took a module while studying in forensic anthropology, Stephanie did not, that being said I was super impressed at all the nitty gritty details that she sewed into the fabric of this book, acknowledging the ‘Out of Africa’ theory and DNA. For me, authenticity is always a plus, it also shows that Stephanie has taken the time to properly research the themes and subjects included in Bone Lines.

Now that I’ve covered that, more about the storyline. The narrative is split into a dual storyline; past and present, present is Dr Eloise Kluft who is investigating an anthropological archaeological find. Kluft delves into the investigation to identify the individual whose bones tell a story of ancient proportions. As well as her job, Eloise has her life to concentrate on and her emotional past. The past is a hunter gatherer mother, who we come to know as Sarah. I would say that she’s the most developed of the ancient ancestors. She is lonely and mated with someone who I assume was a Neanderthal, an enemy that she was meant to kill until he turned around and that was the end of that love story. We see the story through Sarah’s POV after she’s given birth and that maternal instinct kicks in, she will live for her daughter and she will die her as they travel from the colder climate in the far north towards the warmth of the equator; Africa. I also loved that the main characters were both female, girl power!

The narratives, I think are used to compare past and contemporary life, as well as how life impacts you to a biologically level; genetically and physically. I thought the whole story was put together brilliantly, with the dual narratives complimenting one another whenever they crossed paths. The storyline wasn’t forced of filled with unnecessary information, it was great, pure and simple. ‘Bone Lines’ isn’t just a run of the mill novel, it’s makes you think about how we got here, as humans; our ancient ancestors and their tribulations of survival and courage. I also enjoyed that Charles Darwin was included in the story development, especially as he is one of the most famous contributors towards evolutionary research, including ‘survival of the fittest‘.

This review probably makes no sense, it may be disjointed and a load of gobble – dee – gook BUT I completely fell in love with this book, with Sarah and Eloise as characters. Stephanie got it all spot on for me and for that I will be keeping my ear to the ground aka eyes on Twitter for any news of her next book. Since graduating I’ve also been procrastinating about reading about anything like this BUT now I have my taste for it back, there is no stopping me.

ewanlawrie's review

4.0

This debut novel by Stephanie Bretherton is another Unbound publication, the publisher which continues to take a risk on the more unusual suspects, when selecting their authors and projects.

Bone Lines deals both with a scientist investigating some prehistoric remains in the present day and the story of the person who left those remains behind. Stephanie creates two believable and well-rounded heroines in separate and entirely convincing worlds. They are both strong and complex women of their time and this reader was thoroughly engaged by them. No regrets at all about picking up Ms Bretherton’s novel with its intriguing premise.

Some may feel the device of Eloise’s letters to Darwin a little contrived, but in fact it works well in explaining and exploring some of the difficult ethical, scientific and philosophical concepts touched on by this book.

Without banging the reader over the head with polemic, this novel explains beautifully some of the compromises, dilemmas and injustices encountered by women in the scientific (and let’s face it, almost any other) field.

Perhaps I’ve made Bone Fields sound a little dry: I assure you it’s anything but. Give it a try, it really is a book less ordinary and I for one am looking forward to the sequel.

geoffreyg's review

5.0

It’s easier to write qualitative statements about Bone Lines (‘brilliant’ and ‘beautiful’ come to mind) than it is to define it. Yes, it’s a time-slip, weaving the stories of two strong women; the courageous survivor of an extreme natural disaster, and the scientist who analyses her newly-discovered bones more than 70,000 years later. Yet there are several other labels I could add, such as literary, since it is beautifully written, even lyrical at times. I struggled for a while with the question ‘what’s it all about?’ before I realised that in some ways, that question was the answer. Eloise, the introspective, present-day scientist, has a search for meaning running through her mind like a philosophical playlist, and her self-reflection is an intriguing thread that drew me forwards.

The other protagonist, that the present day calls ‘Sarah’, is a true heroine; resourceful, courageous, indomitable in the face of seemingly impossible situations. The reader wills her to succeed and I for one would like to have read more of her. The way in which Bretherton has imagined and written the mindset of a woman from the archaeological past is stunning. Sarah is at one with nature and respectful of it; a hungry woman who would spare an antelope for the sake of its unweaned faun, yet rip the throat from a human aggressor to protect her own infant.

Eloise is complex, fascinating, and perhaps too given to introspection; the kind of person I’d love to find across the table at a dinner party. Both women yearn for company; Sarah as the sole survivor of disaster in an almost empty world, nurturing the baby that is born on her epic journey, and Eloise who is alone, sometimes by choice, in our crowded modern world.

Bone Lines is a very intelligent book, straying at times into the science of genetics but remaining readable to the layman. It is also thoughtful, perhaps a bit philosophical, yet repaying any effort and earning its five stars for the quality of the writing and the appeal of the main characters. If my bookshelves had labels it would go on one called ‘Undiscovered Gems’. Recommended.

stesharp's review

5.0

Bone Lines interweaves its two main characters beautifully like a twisting DNA helix, drawing you in from the start. Once you’re a few chapters in, you’re hooked!

The scientific and emotional strands are balanced well by Dr. Kluft who combines Darwin’s theory of evolution with recent genetic advances to give a human view of what they mean to us. But it’s not all science as the two main characters travel contrasting journeys of their own. Very addictive reading.

eliallison's review

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This novel wears it's scientific heart with pride and is all the better for it. 

A balancing act between a heartfelt story and scientific chit chat between nerds Bone Lines is a fearlessly researched novel filled with exciting ideas on what it means to be human. This book grabs you by the cerebrum, swings you around and doesn't even have the good grace to dumb it down for the clueless amongst us. Which is why this book is so good, being intelligently slung around like a rag doll is my ma raison d'être.

The story is woven from two completely different humans' journeys. Dr Eloise Kluft a scientific Indiana Jones, (minus the whip) the lab is her temple and the human genome is her sacred stone. On the flip side is the pre-historic young woman who is only looking to survive each day as it comes, channelling her inner survival ninja. Hard.

The more technical ideas in this book do keep you on your toes, but the powerful narrative motivation of both characters more than makes up for the occasionally needed Google search. And what glorious Google searches they were.

I fell down rabbit holes that suggested consciousness may, in fact, be an emergent property of chaos itself. That rather than the school of only the strongest survive perhaps humans may have evolved and grown in numbers because we were kind to each other rather than despite it. And that nice and easy subject of whether religion and scientific truths are two half's of one coin, or destined to always be at odds and at the risk of sounding like a game show host, 'So much more.'