Curiosity

"Rich. . . . [Thomas] practically burrows into the characters. Hers is magnificent prose that appeals to all the senses without grandiloquence. Equally important, Thomas handles the doctrinal debate raised by the then-budding field of geology with [great] subtlety and nuance."
-- The Toronto Star

"Right from its powerful opening, the novel buffets readers with the inescapable momentum of waves against the Dorset cliffs. . . . Curiosity is without question the best novel this reader has come across in the past year. . . . Lush. . . . Thomas draws [her] characters with such depth, power, and heart tha they remain with the reader long after the novel's covers are closed."
-- Quill & Quire [starred review]

"Thomas handles beautifully the class-afflicted nuances of a doomed love story."
-- More magazine

"A brilliant, soulful, multi-layered novel. . . . We are drenched in all the sights, sounds and smells of the era [and] become privy to the ecstasy and the agony of the doomed love affair between the two main characters. . . . Lush prose, compelling narrative and vivid characters [make] this one of the best books of the spring publishing season."
-- Ottawa Citizen

"A precise reconstruction of the social and intellectual world of early 19th-century England. . . .[Thomas's] research gives the characters depth [and] provides Mary with a delightfully distinctive voice. . . . A beautifully wrought . . . work of literary art."
-- Winnipeg Free Press

"Extraordinary. . . . A timeless story, and an unforgettable one."
-- Edmonton Journal

"Gripping. . . . Mary Anning as portrayed by Joan Thomas stands in her own right as a memorable figure, vulnerable and indomitable at the same time."
-- National Post

"[Curiosity] explores the exquisite fragility of a love story that turns upon the lovers' unblinking curiosity before the metaphysical change their work uncovers. . . . A beautiful, erudite, and deeply pleasurable work."
-- The Walrus