Excavations: A Novel (Hardcover)

Description

**A NATIONAL BESTSELLER**

BEST SUMMER READS OF 2023: The New York Post • Oprah Book Club • Oprah Daily • USA Today • Good Housekeeping • Brit + Co • The Good Trade • Parade • Zibby Mag • O Quaterly

“Funny, smart and deeply delicious.” —Amy Poehler • “Witty and acerbic, Myers’ debut is humorous and sharply written, as if Aubrey Plaza’s April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation decided to write a sun-drenched novel about feminism, friendship, and archeology.” —Booklist

On a remote archeological site in Greece, the mythic home of the first Olympics, four women discover an unusual artifact. It’s a piece of history that definitely shouldn’t exist. And for the head archaeologist in charge, a relic himself, it means something’s gone horribly wrong.

Elise, Kara, Z and Patty all find themselves digging here together, but they couldn’t be farther apart. Kara’s a polished conservator calling off her wedding. Patty and her bowl cut are desperate for love. Millennial Z just got dumped and fired yet again. And Elise, their star excavator, is a lone wolf about to go rogue. 

To figure out what they’re really digging for, and to topple the man who wants to hide their history, these dirt-crusted colleagues have to become what they’ve avoided for years—friends. If they put their own messes aside for one summer, they might just make the discovery of a lifetime.

About the Author

Kate Myers’ writing has appeared in Elle, BuzzFeed, and Self magazines. She studied archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania and has lived in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, where she's worked for CBS in television development and for CollegeHumor. She now resides in Annapolis, Maryland, with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Praise For…

“Funny, smart and deeply delicious.”  — Amy Poehler

Witty and acerbic, Myers’ debut is humorous and sharply written, as if Aubrey Plaza’s April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation decided to write a sun-drenched novel about feminism, friendship, and archeology. — Booklist

“Myers's clever sarcasm and sharp wit balance the otherwise heavy subject of historical erasure at play. . . hilarious and heartfelt, Excavations delivers a pitch-perfect summer novel steeped in bright Greek sunshine, and it all builds to a satisfying comeuppance borne of women determined to tell their own stories--past and present alike.”
— Shelf Awareness

“In Kate Myers’ funny, flinty debut, four women converge at a Greek archaeological dig led by a preening professor. As the crew toils, they unearth the truth about the site – and their unscrupulous leader. Packed with absorbing details, the novel applauds intellectual honesty and the thrill of discovery.”  — Christian Science Monitor

“Myers is adept at academic satire with a feminist bent and at unsentimental romance, but she really shines at bringing to life a working excavation: the smells, the grime, the exhaustion. And the exhilaration. . . . Fresh, funny, intelligent, and deeply satisfying.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Halfway through this book I was ready to pack my bags, throw away my laptop, and hop on a plane to Greece--Kate Myers is just that good. With Excavations, she's whipped up a sun-drenched romp with some of the most lovable misfits that I can remember--a story that's as much about learning from the past as it is about upending it. It's an exuberant, soaring debut, and I can't wait to see what she dreams up next." — GRANT GINDER, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding and Let's Not Do That Again 

“A smart tale sparkling with wit, Excavations is by turns laugh out loud funny and an ode to feminist triumph. The dazzling Greek island setting, four intriguing women, and a shady mystery come together for an irresistible read. Don’t miss this one.” — LIV CONSTANTINE, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish, a Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick

“This is the gripping story of a band of women trying to break the stranglehold men have not just on the discipline of archaeology but on the entire story of our collective past. In Excavations, L.A. Confidential meets The Secret History, only with the comic ending the reader is desperate for by book’s end. Enthralling, pulse-quickening, enraging, and ultimately cathartically fulfilling, Excavations takes the reader on an unforgettable journey.” — MATTHEW THOMAS, New York Times bestselling author of We Are Not Ourselves

“Kate Myers’ Excavations is moving, smart, suspenseful and hilarious. I rooted for these four unforgettable women every step of the way as they uncovered history’s secrets in sunny Greece and navigated love, heartbreak and friendship.”
— DEEPA VARADARAJAN, author of Late Bloomers