Written In Bone cover art

Written In Bone

hidden stories in what we leave behind

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Written In Bone

Written by: Sue Black
Narrated by: Sue Black
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Our bones are the silent witnesses to the lives we lead. Our stories are marbled into their marrow.

Drawing upon her years of research and a wealth of remarkable experience, the world-renowned forensic anthropologist Dame Sue Black takes us on a journey of revelation. From skull to feet, via the face, spine, chest, arms, hands, pelvis and legs, she shows that each part of us has a tale to tell. What we eat, where we go, everything we do leaves a trace, a message that waits patiently for months, years, sometimes centuries, until a forensic anthropologist is called upon to decipher it.

Some of this information is easily understood, some holds its secrets tight and needs scientific cajoling to be released. But by carefully piecing together the evidence, the facts of a life can be rebuilt. Limb by limb, case by case – some criminal, some historical, some unaccountably bizarre – Dame Sue Black reconstructs with intimate sensitivity and compassion the hidden stories in what we leave behind.

© Sue Black 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Criminology Law Popular Culture Professionals & Academics Science & Technology Leaders Social Sciences True Crime

Critic Reviews

The corpse whisperer ... could Black's life be any more ready for a series producer to pitch to Netflix? ... and is it OK for her, or us, to enjoy this quite so much? (Helen Rumbelow)
A fascinating if grisly book. It should be read. (Stuart Kelly)
For someone who deals in death every day, Sue Black has a rare ability to make blood and bones come alive. A marvellous writer.
A fascinating overview of the human skeleton from the forensic anthropologist's point of view, with case studies that are both pertinent and entertaining.
Gripping from the start, Written in Bone is superb - fascinating in its detail of real life cases and written with a narrative that propels you forward to the next page.
[Sue Black's] stunning new book...is full of gripping case studies..and full of dry humour
Black writes with rare precision and compassion
Her stories invite us to imagine the worst that can happen to us, or those we love. But I was also reminded of a pathologist who, on completing her autopsies, would pull off her gloves with a snap and announce: 'Isn't it good to be alive.' There's redemption here, too, and justice; there's humanitarianism and compassion. (Gavin Francis)
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