On Display: a novel of natural history

by Christy Baker Knight

What devilish things would you do to keep your job? On Display chronicles the misadventures of young naturalist, Becca North, as she begins a promising career at a museum of natural history in 1991. This Darwinian hub is an answer to her prayers, but on a disastrous collecting trip, Becca loses something in the swamp that can’t be replaced, setting her on a coiled path with a dark secret that someone called the Creationist knows about.

When protestors block the entrance, a venomous snake goes missing in the museum, and artifacts steeped in scripture surface, it’ll take more than office humor to keep the faith. With the help of four accomplished mentors nicknamed the Girls, Becca must evolve from fearful neophyte to fierce protector, putting her very soul on display.

258 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2021

About the author

A prize-winning naturalist fiction author, I've been crafting and reading my stories aloud to unsuspecting groups of people since the third grade. My published works include a water-time mystery novel, Hot Pressed, as well as a novel of natural history called On Display. I'm also a co-author and artistic designer for The Place Light Gets In, a collection of memoirs created by my life-affirming writers' group.

Drawing from a lifetime of experience in art and nature, I've worked as an exhibit designer for a museum, as an award-winning botanical illustrator and library muralist perched on scaffolding above voracious readers, and as an art and environmental educator at a nature preserve. I live with my family in the Piedmont region of Georgia where I enjoy reading outside, hiking on the river trails, and avoiding calls from someone named Spam Risk.

I love to visit book clubs both online and in person and hope you'll come see me at fieldandstudio.com

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author.

I didn't know what to expect about a book about "creatures," snakes, trees, nature etc. Becca was a 22 year old intern at a soon to be opened museum of natural history in Atlanta. Then she goes on a field trip with Zelda, her co-worker and something happens and then everything after that goes haywire with strange notes with quotes from The Bible.

At first it was her looking back at herself from 22 years ago or something and then it became the present again and then later on it did it again. It was a little disconcerting. Then it became too preachy with the notes.

Becca has her work friends aka girls who were so cute when they were together with their different personalities and always looked out for each other.

It was sort of a mystery also in a way and sorted itself out in the end. To me, nepotism played a part with her father as the attorney (I think) in the museum. Not sure if he played in the part of her getting the internship, and then eventually the job there.

[R. Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Display’s successful mix of herpetology, museum curation, and mystery is a tribute to author Christy Baker Knight’s ability to blend humor, scientific fact, character development, and witty dialogue into a captivating read.

Readers will appreciate experiencing protagonist Becca North’s adventures, including snake catching, nocturnal expeditions in the Georgia swamp, and angry protesters disrupting her access to and productivity at work while ensconced in their armchairs without having to break a sweat.

In addition to crafting an action-filled story that dispels the stereotype of boring museum curators and dusty displays, Baker Knight thoughtfully relates the relatively recent young adult ritual of accepting an unpaid internship with the hope of future employment. While never hitting the reader over the head with her commentary, Baker Knight does subtly illustrate working long uncompensated hours and being programmed to say yes, no matter how unpleasant (and perhaps illegal) the requisite tasking might be. The reader becomes more expert at museum dynamics as Becca traverses office politics, beginning with making seating charts in meetings to keep her new colleagues straight to eventually joining “the girls” for celebratory lunches.

The result is a captivating story that brings naturalists, adventure seekers, and mystery readers into the hijinks behind static museum displays. After finishing this book, readers will never walk through a museum with detachment or without wondering what might be happening in the basement again!

[Mel Brannen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ´naturalist fiction’. That’s a pretty good description of this blend of naturalist, art and mystery.

Excellent prologue. Just enough mystery to intrigue the reader. But the mystery introduced in the prologue is not the one carried through the book. That one, the one where bible-believing Christians send threatening letters & kidnap people, is preposterous and offensive.

The author perfectly captures the professional workplace of Atlanta in the early 1990’s - a few professional women expected to spend half their salary on clothes (including hose & heels) regularly ostracized by the men who either ignore, insult or degrade the women but don’t willingly include them as part of ‘the team’.

There is a great deal of Georgia natural history presented within the book and this, I found delightful. While reading I was busy looking up photos and additional information on various animals and environments. And I’ve purchased ‘Travels’ by William Bartram for my library.

The character development is lacking so this feels like a ‘beginner book’ where it’s good enough but it could be so much more.

[Deborah Kramb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally fun reading! I found the story a bit disconcerning as I know the author in a totally different capacity and I had recently visited the Atlanta Natural History Museum - I kept trying to place the action in the buildings I know and to erase the face of my friend when I read the adventures of Becca. I enjoyed the glimpse into the making of the exhibits - from the field trips to gather specimens to the intricate painting, gluing and placing involved. Now, I have to go back to the museum and look more closely! I may have to reread the beginning to catch the clues and red herrings though!

[Janet Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Ms. Baker Knight’s ON DISPLAY, beautiful word pictures invite the reader into the night’s darkness where science relies on prior knowledge to inform choice. Her main character, Becca has just accepted an internship at a natural history museum where a team of creative artists/naturalists and staff will bring her experience to life…to light. We begin to know the Girls and the men as Becca does, when she draws a clock and notes the position of each at the Hansel House meeting table. Through the eyes of the newbie, the reader is treated to an adventure, an unfolding mystery advanced by Bible quotations interspersed, objects from the science museum gone missing, and Baker Knight’s ability to weave Becca’s family and home into play. You might be left wondering if a necessary secret will one day need to be revealed in order to be freed from the carrying of it.

[Nancy Timmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a story! Christy Baker Knight gives you a tale of the natural world like no other. Like a flower budding, the tale opens up into a unique, consuming tale that will have you turning pages late into the night. The setting descriptions are impressive; you will understand and appreciate what is involved in displaying an exhibit in a museum. You will also enjoy the mystery within the museum along with the quirky, fun characters as you take a step back into the 1990s.

Becca North begins her career as an intern naturalist at a natural history museum. But things get a little dicey while collecting specimens, and she's unsure if she will glide into her career path easily. On top of that, a vexatious bunch of creationist protesters are in front of the museum, making things a little more uncertain and alarming.

“On Display” was my introduction to author Christy Baker Knight. Christy is an exceptional writer. I highly recommend this novel for your next read; as you will take a step into nature with a mystery that unfolds slowly but builds to anticipation.

I am delighted to know that a portion of the proceeds from “On Display” go to Atlanta Urban Ecologist, an education program for the youth.

~This novel was given to me by the author through a giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review.~

[Karen Eisenbrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art, science, and suspense come together in this atmospheric tale. Recent college grad Becca North is thrilled to have a summer internship helping prepare for the opening of a new natural history museum. On a collecting trip, Becca and her mentor stumble upon illegal activity and commit a little themselves. They think they’ve kept the secrets, but someone leaves threatening notes for Becca, who decides to play sleuth but may be in over her head. Is one of her co-workers stalking her? Does she have a chance with the hunky handyman? Will creationists shut down the museum before it can open? And where is the missing rattlesnake???

This is a mystery with death but no murders, and a spooky yet modern setting as the design team moves between a creepy old house and the sterile, brand-new museum. I enjoyed the workplace comedy aspect, as Becca goes through a recognizable internship experience, bonding with “the Girls” of the design team and sparring with “the guys” of the taxidermy team. The story is firmly grounded in time and place: Atlanta in the early ‘90s, as seen by a 22-year-old eager to make her mark. It has a memoirish quality as the first-person narrator relates her story from a 30-year remove. This allows her to zoom out at times to show how much things have changed technologically in a relatively short time, but also reduces the suspense, since she clearly overcame any danger that threatened her back then. I think the story could have been just as successful without it, but it doesn’t detract that much. Maybe I just didn’t want to be reminded of how long ago 1991 was! Details of natural history and museum and art techniques were woven into the story, easy-to-take educational medicine.

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, Southern suspense, natural history museums, or just want to revisit the early ‘90s, On Display would be a good choice.

I won a paperback copy of this book in a drawing during an online book event.