A Unique Look at the Darwins

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith. I liked this book but it wasn't one that captured my complete attention from the beginning. The author tends to ramble a bit as she discusses the marriage of Charles and Emma Darwin. Some of the rambling is necessary to help teens understand the differences between then and now. As I continued to read this book, Emma's struggle with Charles' skepticism of religion drew me into the book. I particularly liked the many quotes inserted from the actual writings of the Darwin's. It made the book feel more accurate however I did wonder if reading the quotes in the context of the letter would change the perception the reader had developed. Would the reader still agree with the author over the connotation of the selected quotes? I can't answer that but I will say that overall the book was more enjoyable than expected.

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