Charles and Emma

It took a while for me to become engrossed in the book, but once I got into it, I was, indeed, engrossed. I ended up reading a great deal of the book aloud to my husband. When I would stop reading to him and read silently, he would say,"Read some more." We loved the book because of Deborah Heiligman's fantastic job of developing Charles and Emma as people and characters. It was a story that spoke to us because we have so much in common with them.

I loved the descriptions of Charles "mooning about" in his garden. Heiligman did such a wonderful job of showing him to be a sweet, gentle man with a sense of humor. And I loved that she showed us his love for his dogs and his attempts at training worms. Emma's affection and concern for him was so touching. I particularly loved the image of her reading his books after his death. Heiligman's characterization of Emma as a well-read, curious woman in her own right and Charles's love for her and obvious respect for her intelligence are such wonderful things to read about a Victorian-era romance.

The plot itself held my interest as Heiligman wove the personal lives of the Darwins into the professional life of Charles Darwin. Admittedly, I have always been interested in Darwin's work, but I knew very little of his personal life and I had no idea that he and FitzRoy had such a huge falling-out. The personal stories of Charles's relationships with his children made him so much more human to me. And the story of William and his gloves resting on the top of his head during Charles's funeral was perfect.

My heart was with Emma as she worried about Charles's soul. I think the descriptions of her worries were handled well and made her a sympathetic character without making her a pathetic character.

I married a scientist who is so very similar in so many ways to the character that was Charles in this book. Darwin is definitely one of The Greats in our house. I made a comparison while reading the book between my husband and Charles and my husband said (and he was serious),"I'm not worthy of that." But their personalities and habits are so similar that it was almost eerie. When Emma would read Charles's work and not always understand exactly what he meant, I saw myself as I've read my husband's work and known that it was so far over my head I was basically a lost cause. I am always honored beyond belief when he asks me to read something and I know that Emma must have felt the same way. Like Charles and Emma, our religious views differ. And like Charles and Emma, we respect the other's views without always having to agree. Unlike Emma, I do not worry about my husband's soul. I suppose my understanding of Christianity is a bit different from Emma's, but I am amazed at how forward-thinking and liberal she was for her time (and for ours, actually).

I never knew, nor did my Darwin Fanatic husband, that Darwin was so squeamish about blood. This type of detail humanized the man who has become for so many of us an icon to be revered while others have practically demonized him. This book made him accessible as a human being.

Because I was so taken by this book, I found myself digging around online for more about Darwin's personal life, his children (particularly Charles Waring as I had wondered if he had Down Syndrome when I read the book), and Darwin's descendants who are alive today. I would like to think that maybe kids who read the book would have their curiosity piqued as well.