by Deborah HeiligmanSummary: This is the true story--the love story--of Charles and Emma Darwin. Most people don't know that Charles Darwin's wife was a very spiritual and faithful woman. She was concerned about marrying him because she was afraid she would not see him in the afterlife, and she continued to be afraid of this throughout her life and after his death. Charles and Emma had a beautiful and complex relationship, balancing each other out and helping each other through the raising of seven children and the deaths of three. Charles did have doubts about God, and the deaths of his children didn't help this. He was not, however, an atheist, as most people believe. He was simply a man who had questions, and he dedicated his life to finding the answers. This book provides an unusual glimpse into the private life of a very public, and much misunderstood, historical figure.
My thoughts: Darwin's scientific research on the process of natural selection in species changed the way the world thought about creation. He was terribly nervous about publishing his theory because he knew it would offend many people. He was right, but he also had many supporters, and his ideas are now widely accepted as fact. Even during Darwin's day, people misinterpreted his theories. One in particular is the notion that he believed humans are descended from monkeys. He was very frustrated by this even while he was alive, because he simply believed that humans and apes have a common ancestor, not that we evolved from them. (Other scientists during his lifetime did make this claim, but not Darwin.) I really enjoyed reading about this family. I have always pictured Darwin as a gruff, stern, inflexible person. Instead, I learned that he was a sweet and shy family man with a great passion for science, and for humanity.
No comments:
Post a Comment