Ever the scientist, however, Darwin could not completely destroy such spectacular knowledge, and he created a secret dossier of the entire affair. These documents, never published, were kept in a location known only to Darwin himself.
At the time of his death in 1882, Darwin’s dossier resurfaced. How Jackaby came to be in possession of such an impossible artifact I have never learned, but he allowed me to take a quick glimpse at its pages before returning it to the shady Dangerous Documents section of his private library. More than just chameleomorphs, the collection comprised accounts of dozens of unfathomable entities. In the few moments I had with the journal, I saw entries that I fear may never be cleansed from my memory. Strange and exotic grotesqueries seared themselves in my mind, but worse still were the ones all too familiar. It is a profoundly unsettling experience to see childhood nightmares—things recalled as horrid fantasies—laid plain, in perfect detail, upon the page. Jackaby had said not knowing was the worst, but I must confess, on many dark nights since then, I have found myself nostalgic for my ignorance.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are several people I wish to recognize, without whom this series would not exist. Elise Howard has been Jackaby’s fairy godmother in so many ways, using her magic to usher it through countless essential transformations. Thank you for helping get my ragged little manuscript all dressed up for the ball. Lucy Carson has stalwartly championed these books, pushing through hell and high water to help my stories weather the storm and see the light of day. Above all, Katrina Santoro has been Jackaby’s guardian angel from the start. She has been a sounding board, an anchor to reality, and wings to greater heights. She has saved readers from some of my worst writing and helped bring out some of my best. At my most confident I consider myself her creative equal, and my efforts to earn the right to that claim have made Jackaby a better series and me a better writer. Thank you for everything. Thank you to my parents—Eleanor, Russ, Janice, Frank, Kacy, and Joe—and to all my friends and family. I am humbled to have received such supportive encouragement from so many people every step of the way.
Beastly Bones
William Ritter
Questions for Discussion
ALGONQUIN
Questions for Discussion
1. Abigail takes great care to describe the living spaces of those around her—from Jackaby’s eclectic assortment of objects to Charlie’s minimal personalization of his home. When you go to a person’s house, what sorts of things are the most telling about their personality? How do William Ritter’s descriptions of the characters’ spaces contribute to your understanding of those characters?
2. On page 75, Jackaby says, “Deep down, our dear Jenny does not believe the truth is hers to find. Until she does, I do not know if providing it to her would be a kindness. Perhaps she fears the answers might be more painful than the questions, and I cannot say that they will not be.” Is it sometimes a kindness to withhold or not pursue the truth? If so, is this one of those times?
3. Miss Fuller is, in many respects, the type of woman Abigail hoped to become when immigrating to the United States. How does Miss Fuller’s influence affect Abigail—especially her performance as a detective? Is Jackaby or Miss Fuller a better role model for Abigail? Why?
4. Miss Fuller tells Abigail, “Behind every great man is a woman who gave up on greatness and tied herself into an apron” (page 181). Was this universally true in the 1890s? Do you think it is true today?
5. Do you think Abigail will ever return to England? If she were to return, how would her parents receive her? How do you think her time in America would affect her own expectations and choices for her life back in England?