Description: A unique biography of Charles Darwin that focuses on how his work has affected his personal life, such as his relationship with his religious wife and his contemporaries.

Review: I found “Charles and Emma” to be a very readable book. As the book opens, Darwin is trying to make a decision about marriage, and he is doing so by making a pro and cons list. In this list, readers are shown two sides of Darwin that they which may or may not be familiar. On one side Darwin, the scientist, is taking into consideration the time he will lose from his revolutionary work. On the other side, Darwin, the man, realizes that he is not getting any younger and would not like to spend the rest of his days alone. Thus, his search for a suitable wife starts. He finds his perfect match with his cousin, Emma, who not only becomes his comforter, best friend, editor, mother of his 10 children, but also an opposing force. Although Charles and Emma got along very well and loved each other very much, they were on the opposite sides when it came to the role of God in creation. Emma was a very religious leader who feared her husband’s lack of faith would not allow him to follow her to heaven when they died.

      The book shines when religion and science intersect. Readers will also get a feeling about what it was like to live in Victorian England by experiencing the illness and death the Darwin family faces. Through the uses of the Darwin family letters and papers, the author is able to create a biography in which the reader can really see the vulnerable Darwin who struggles with his doubts of faith as well as get a glimpse of the many different personal influences that shaped Charles’ life as he worked very hard to form his theories. I found the photographs to be fascinating. This would be an excellent source for students to use if they were to research about Darwin and his personal life because it contains both primary and secondary sources. Readers who arent’ interested in science or Darwin’s theology will find an Austen-like romance. I would recommend this book for 12 yrs old and up.

Rating: 4 stars

     
    What caught my eye and kept me reading was the character of Lisbeth. I instantly loved her character along with her punk attire and “don’t mess with me” attitude. She is a complicated, brilliant character, who has a dark and harrowing past which readers only see a glimpse at a time. She is both strong, but yet has very reasonable insecurities, which are highlighted by how she views men in particular and how she views other people. I expect that Lisbeth’s character will be closely examined in the next two books in this trilogy. Unfortunately, readers won’t be able to continue with these characters after the third and final book due to the untimely death of the author. Without spoiling the ending, I will say that some readers may not feel satisfied as how the case is handled because it’s not black and white. I, for one, thought the ending was realistic and added another dimension to the characters and the novel. What did you think?

Words of Caution: Since this is an adult book, it contains adult situations. Though most of the violence takes place off screen, the details of some of the murders are disturbing, particularly those involved with women such as rape and sexual abuse. The book also contains strong language and sexual content. I would recommend this book to only mature, strong teen readers and adults who love a meaty crime fiction novel.

Rating: 4 stars

Additional Information: