Heiligman, D. (2009). Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith. New York: Henry Holt.
Summary
Deborah Heiligman takes readers on a journey through the married life of Charles and Emma Darwin. In particular, she chronicles the interplay of their great love for one another and their disagreement about faith: though far from a biblical literalist, Emma nonetheless adhered to faith in God through Jesus Christ; Charles, while respecting the beliefs of his wife and others, spent most of his adult life in wonder at the world but had difficulty reconciling himself with the idea of an omnipotent, caring, creating deity. Through scientific discovery and journeys of faith, Charles and Emma had ten children together, three of whom survived into adulthood. Heiligman draws out the "leap of faith" imagery throughout the text: even though Emma was the more religiously observant of the two, Charles made his own leaps of faith despite doubt and despair. Heiligman scrupulously documents this biography.Impressions
Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite reads this semester. Heiligman does a superlative job of narrating this love story; it reminds me very much of the interactions between John and Abigail Adams, substituting science and natural history for politics and government. Charles Darwin, of course, penned The Voyage of the Beagle and, more famously, Origin of the Species, which set forth the principles of natural selection and evolution. His Descent of Man posits the existence of a common ancestor for great apes and humans. Origin and Descent, in particular, challenged a literal view of the creation as told in Genesis; however, that was far from Darwin's goal in publishing his research. He hemmed and hawed for decades testing, honing, and refining his arguments and submitting his writing to his wife and good friends for ideas and editing. In her acknowledgements, Heiligman describes how attached she grew to the Darwins through her research. I share this feeling after reading this wonderful book and sympathize with the honestly faithful Emma and the honestly doubting Charles.
One of the points I think Heiligman wishes to make, aside from simply telling a fabulous story, is that faith and science, like Charles and Emma, can walk hand in hand. In my opinion, faith and science don't even have to agree to both be true. I am a Christian. I believe in God, a loving God who creates and sustains the world. Like Charles' American friend Asa Gray in the book, I believe that God is big enough to encompass natural selection and evolution. The God part can't be proved. Natural selection and evolution are established scientific realities. Faith and science answer questions (and I'm not even sure that they are all the same questions) by different means.
Could the Darwins see the marketing of footed fish (with "Darwin" written inside) and gobbling fish (the Christian ichthys symbol, eating the footed fish) signs for the backs of cars, I am sure they would be frightfully distressed. According to his writing and to that of his wife (they penned thousands of notes to one another and other families; they both kept journals), Charles had no desire whatsoever to create controversy: he simply wanted to share what he observed to be true based upon decades of research and experimentation. Often in frail health, Charles tended to be anxious and retiring, though by all accounts he was a devoted and attentive father and husband. How sad, I think, that he has been vilified by some off and on since the publication of Origin. Though sensitive and unconventional in some ways, honor-bound Charles generally epitomized the English gentleman, reluctant to upset the status quo.
I cannot stress enough the fascinating nature of this account of the Darwins' life together. Thought-provoking and endearing, this book challenges readers to reassess the balance of faith and science in their lives, to make room for disagreement without disparagement, and to wonder at the beauty and mystery of all creatures great and small.
Review
Heath, E. (2009). Charles and Emma: The Darwins' leap of faith [book review]. School Library Journal, 55(1), 127. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Gr 8 Up-- Beginning with Darwin's notorious chart listing reasons to wed and not to wed, Heiligman has created a unique, flowing, and meticulously researched picture of the controversial scientist and the effect of his marriage on his life and work. Using the couple's letters, diaries, and notebooks as well as documents and memoirs of their relatives, friends, and critics, the author lets her subjects speak for themselves while rounding out the story of their relationship with information about their time and place. She shows how Darwin's love for his intelligent, steadfast, and deeply religious cousin was an important factor in his scientific work-pushing him to document his theory of natural selection for decades before publishing it with great trepidation. Just as the pair embodied a marriage of science and religion, this book weaves together the chronicle of the development of a major scientific theory with a story of true love. Published for young adults, this title will be equally interesting to adults drawn to revisit Darwin on his 200th birthday.
Suggestions for use
Darwin's work continues to be controversial, of course. First of all, I wonder how wide a readership this book has attracted among young adults. Secondly, I will have to research whether or not the book has been challenged in school libraries.
I think that this book could really prompt some thoughtful discussions in biology classes studying evolution. I envision a collaborative unit with social studies teachers and science teachers working with the librarian to make this happen. The humanity of the book's subjects puts face and flesh on what is often a polarizing topic. The civility of the Darwins and Heiligman's simultaneously humorous and tragic relation of their life together frames a conversation regarding evolution squarely in its historical context and sets a conciliatory tone.
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