When I was young, one of my dreamed-of professions was to be an archeologist. I have no propensity for science nor any patience, so needless to say that dream went unfulfilled. But I have remained fascinated by the subject, from digs to dinosaurs to graves. This interest led me to pick up The Bone Lady by Mary Manhein, a surprisingly dull book about her work as a forensic anthropologist.
Manhein runs a lab in Louisiana and was given the nickname “The Bone Lady” by colleagues. Her speciality is just what it sounds like–she examines bones, frequently of unknown people found dead or in unmarked graves, and tries to identify who they are and how they died.
The Bone Lady is very short, and the chapters are barely 3-4 pages each (some as short as two pages). This is a book of anecdotes, with little depth, reflection, or significant insight into forensic techniques. There is the occasional interesting tidbit, such as how to differentiate between blunt force trauma in a skull compared to a gunshot wound (blunt force trauma skull pieces are harder to put together to recreate the skull due to warping), but the chapters are mostly structured as situation/rushed details/examination/abrupt end.
Many chapters are just superficial case descriptions, with virtually no tension or interesting details. One short chapter describes identifying a missing man by his dental records. Another is discovering that a set of bones is actually from a family pet. One two-pager merely describes the discovery a child’s coffin in a corn crib, with nothing but a medal left behind. I initially kept notes on each chapter, but I gave up after realizing there was no there there. While mildly interesting in places–my natural interest in forensics propelled me forward–the book was essentially a collection of random recollections that weren’t tied together in any meaningful way. I may have been spoiled my recent reading of Stephen Jay Gould, who is a fascinating, in-depth scientific writer, even in short essays. There are surely much better books out there about forensic anthropology.