The Find

by Kathy Page

A day’s prospecting leads paleontologist Anna Silowski to make an extraordinary discovery in a remote part of British Columbia, but at the same time, the tensions below the surface of her successful career are exposed. Pushed towards breakdown, she finds herself unexpectedly dependent on high-school drop out Scott Macleod, and recruits him to help on the excavation of her find. Scott is soon way out of his depth, and the excavation itself teeters on the edge of disaster. The Find is a compelling story about discovery, inheritance and fate, and a moving exploration of the possibilities that hide within a seemingly impossible relationship.

Genres: Fiction

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

She has her BA from York (England) and her MA in writing from the University of East Anglia. A novelist and widely anthologised short-story writer, she has also written for television and radio. Her themes are loss, survival, and transformation: the magic by which a bad hand becomes a good chance. Her fifth novel, The Story of My Face, was long-listed for the Orange Prize in 2002, and is optioned for a feature film. The sixth, Alphabet, was nominated for a Governor General's award in 2005. Her latest title, The Find, 2010, is her first novel set in Canada: a story about discovery, inheritance and fate, and a moving exploration of the possibilities that hide within a seemingly impossible relationship.

Kathy Page has taught fiction writing at Universities in England, Finland and Estonia, and held residencies in schools and a variety of other institutions/communities, including a fishing village and a men’s prison.

She now lives in British Columbia, Canada.

Reviews

[Scotchneat · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I liked "Alphabet", also by Page, I felt this one didn't quite hit the mark.

Anna is a paleontologist who discovers a new/important set of bones on a riverbed in BC and finds herself in a controversy and bitter battle with a fellow researcher and the local native band. Underneath this is her decision to not get tested for the debilitating disease that took her father.

She confesses her worries that she's showing symptoms to Scott, a dropout guy who's main role in life is looking after his alcoholic father. He becomes her confessor and protector on the dig.

As you can tell from the precis, the story flirts with a kind of harlequin plot and maybe that's why I dislike. Page's writing is scads above that in terms of character insight, but "Alphabet" is definitely the better book.

[Tiva Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual blend of science, politics, social commentary, and romance - and most of these threads don't quite go where you expect them to.

Page packs in a lot of subjects that could easily be worthy of a more serious treatment and create a book three times the size of this one.

Instead, she chooses to keep the tone medium to light, even though the topics are heavy, and she pulls it off. The plot more or less resolves itself, yet the issues still feel unresolved - because they are. That's how life works, the big stuff always leaves a lot of loose ends hanging around.

I'm writing this mainly so I don't forget to keep an eye out for more Kathy Page.

[Neil Blacklock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the mix of palaeontology and the shall have a child and relationship story. I saw the HD as a a metaphor for what do I pass on to my child and how much responsibility should I take for that. It all rolls a long rather splendidly with the tension racking up over the warring academics.

Towards the end it losses its way. I feels like it needed to wrap up before it did and the car crash towards the end seem one plot device too far. However, well handled and relatively light touch to what could have been plodding subject matter.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Location - West Coast FN land, presenting skilled characters in jobs and situations with explanations just outside my knowledge (so, stretching my awareness)in parlance that satisfied my need for both internal and external dialogue. Paleontology, team dynamics, aging and illness, a strong female protagonist with interesting and arresting side-players.

[McArthur and Company · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're delighted to announce that Kathy Page's novel has been shortlisted for the 2011 ReLit Award.

[Kathy]

It was my first Kathy Page book and I like it so much that I decided to read everything else she's written.

[Tracee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though set on Vancouver Island, the paleontology portion was a letdown. The Huntingtons portion was almost more interesting... Not worth the read, in my opinion.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Find by Kathy Page as reviewed by Gail.M. Murray
Author Kathy Page is the find as much as the pterosaur (an enormous flying reptile winged lizard the size of a float plane) in the shale of the cliff. Page gets deep inside the psychology of her characters. Page was inspired by two things: the skeleton of an elasmosaur in Courtney & District Museum B.C. and an article about genetic testing and ten years of research and writing has produced this novel.
Anna Silowski is a paleontologist and museum curator who makes an extraordinary discovery in a remote part of British Columbia. She is also 40 years old and living in fear of inheriting Huntington’s Disease having watched her scientist father waste away and die.
Scott Macleod is a young man saddled with an alcoholic father and stalled in life, working the front desk at the Mountain View cabins.
Mike Swenson whom she worked with at the university and had said no to his advances, is her adversary. “Mike had sulked, made life difficult; it clearly rankled him that she’d been given the full professorship.” (p30)
“She would not let Mike Swenson elbow her out…..This was who she was, what she was for, and the find was hers. It was her calling.” (p80)
Without Scott’s help she would have had great difficulty with the dig, especially when the First Nations people showed up to protest. Being half native and knowing the band leader, Alan Coxtis, as well as Thompson (Scott’s cousin) the young man threatening to jump off the cliff if they did not stop the excavation, Scott could bridge things.
As the dig progresses a tender love develops between Scott and Anna. She helps him to realize his potential and she gains the courage to take the test. “Maybe it wouldn’t last, but who would have thought it could happen at all? (P 276)
In the final chapter at the entrance hall for the speeches and dedication they (crew and native representatives; Scott and his new girlfriend Lenni) are all united (except for Mike Swenson on a dig in Alaska) and the tenderness and appreciation Scott and Anna felt remains though they have moved on with their lives. Scott will qualify as a physiotherapist specializing in neurological rehabilitation.
The woman standing not quite still by the microphone is still Anna, Scott thinks but she has changed, is changing all the time. There are losses ahead…..He still wishes he could have saved her, knows too, that she would say that he did. He is glad that he has another life and also that she is in it. (p235)

[Elaine Robinson LaBar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story on a topic that I knew little about. Great, strong characters and plot.

[Shadoh]

1/4 read and done....overwritten.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the type I normally read, but I really enjoyed this rollercoaster of politics and relationships. A perfect example of contemporary Canadian fiction.

[Rare · Rating 3 out of 5]

A paleontologist discovered a flying dinosaur and worked to have it put into a museum after fighting harassment from another colleague and resolving claims from First Nations. In the midst of this, she was fighting her own genetic susceptibility to Huntington’s Disease. Parallel to this is the struggle of her lover, a school drop-out, to discover himself and find his way to a more fulfilling life. A good read with some meaningful outcomes. I enjoyed the characters and the context of the story.

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but not a lot of substance.