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Jul 05, 2010

Tatiana rated it:

I picked up this book mostly because Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith is both the National Book Award and Printz runner-up. I don't know if it's because my expectations were too high or because this book is my first YA non-fiction, but I wasn't as wild about it as I expected to be.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith is basically a story of Charles Darwin's marriage to his religious wife, which, keeping in mind that Darwin was a founder of the theory of natural se More...

9 comments like (11 people liked it)

Jan 19, 2010

Bill rated it:

I wanted to rate this book higher, but the more I considered its qualities, the more I opted for liking rather than really liking. Numerous parts of this book were highly interesting, and some I found quite moving; but two features kept getting in the way of an overall very satisfying reading experience for me. One was Heiligman's seeming desire to work in every tidbit about the Darwins that struck her as interesting, even if that bit of information ended up being obtrusive to the forward move More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 07, 2012

Rebekah rated it:

The best nonfiction tells a story, and this gem conveys an eloquently written tale of love and compromise. Charles Darwin is best known for his controversial theory of evolution, and many books discuss the politics surrounding his science. Heiligman provides the reader with something unique, a narrative centered on Darwin's private life. Of course, Darwin was deeply immersed in science, and there is no way of divorcing the man from his studies, but this biography puts his work within the cont More...

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Feb 19, 2012

Alyssa rated it:

I came into this book not knowing anything about Charles Darwin, other than he was an amazing scientist. This book didn't focus so much on his scientific discoveries or innovations, but more on his married and family life. He married Emma, despite the fact that their religions were different, and together had ten children. This book makes Charles seem like a real man - one who loved his family and who was able to make time for his children. I didn't love how it was written, but I did enjoy t More...

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Feb 17, 2012

Ryne rated it:

[Warning: Spoilers ahead!]

Charles Darwin is a polarizing figure. He is usually revered as a crusader for science and the theory of evolution, or he is despised as a godless enemy to organized religion. The truth is actually a little more complicated. While the average person is somewhat familiar with Darwin's theories, he or she knows little of who Darwin actually was; what he thought, did, and believed. People know even less of Darwin's circumstances--that he was married to a devout More...

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Feb 17, 2012

Emily rated it:

REQUIRED
"Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" is the story of the relationship between Charles Darwin and his family, particularly his religiously devout wife Emma. The book's stated purpose is to illustrate the balance the couple achieved between the religious and the scientific. I personally found the intentions of the book to be greater than its ability to deliver. The writing throughout suffers from a misunderstanding of its audience. Though it is aimed at the YA More...

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Feb 15, 2012

Kristina rated it:

Charles and Emma The Darwins' Leap of Faith
By Deborah Heiligman
Status Read in Feb 2012
Reguired Category

Deborah Heiligman depicts the beautiful love story of Charles and Emma Darwin. Darwin of course places his faith in science and Emma places her in religion. Haunted by the idea that her husband will end up in hell due to his lack of faith, Emma still loves her husband. Darwin unsure if he even wants to marry, creates a pro and con list and finally decides that Emma More...

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Feb 14, 2012

Eric rated it:

REQUIRED
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith is a charming biography. Deborah Heiligman does an excellent job bringing about a unique take on the life and work of the founder of evolutionary theory (more particularly, that related to natural selection -- aka survival of the fittest). The book goes into Darwin's struggles, beginning immediately with his own personal list of pros and cons for marrying or not. Clearly, he feels that he'll have more time to do what he needs to get done More...

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Feb 04, 2012

Ellen rated it:

Charles and Emma--Required

Nearly three years ago, I lived in London for a time. It happened to be the summer when a Darwin exhibit was at Cambridge University and we went to see it. It included all his papers and a great exhibit of his academic work. But I don't think it included his personal life which I think is every bit as fascinating as his life's work. Or if it did I don't remember it. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith is about Darwin's life that includes his work and More...

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Nov 04, 2011

Amanda rated it:

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 t More...

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Sep 14, 2011

Steven rated it:

This book went a long way toward making a man out of a legend. Along the way, it re-enforced the importance of a strong spousal relationship in being able to achieve something great in life.

Charles and Emma were good for each other. Emma kept Charles on the top of his game, questioning him at every step through developing his great ideas of natural selection and the origin of species. She was a woman of faith and was worried that his ideas would condemn him to eternal damnation, but More...

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Jul 18, 2011

Katie rated it:

Through Charles’s journals and letters, this book gives us an inside look into the Darwin household and the development of Charles’s theory of natural selection as well as the impact his research had on his faith in God. One of my favorite aspects of this book was having the man behind the theory revealed--who knew that Charles Darwin was so very likeable and romantic! Meanwhile, we also meet Emma, his wife and the editor of his work, who is no less intellectually curious or brilliant than Charl More...

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Jun 14, 2011

Rachel rated it:

I don't think I've ever gone into a book and then come out with such different feelings than I started with. This book was both insightful and heart wrenching. As an LDS Christian, Charles Darwin has always been an enigma to me. In all fairness (or I should say unfairness)I will admit that I have never really studied much about his life, but you can't get through school without his influence making it's marks. A quote from his later life (not in the book) that I found in college has haunted me f More...

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Jun 09, 2011

hi rated it:

This book follows Charles from before his marriage and before much of his work on his idea of the 'Origin of Species.' It uses a lot of journal entries and letters that makes it seem very authentic. The author explores Darwin's inner debates about marriage and God and whether he should continue and publish his work.
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know anything about Charles Darwin before reading this. The impression that I had gotten was just that of a scientist out to prove that man More...

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Jun 04, 2011

Catherine rated it:

This was a delightful little book, and I really enjoyed it. The story wasn't as much a recounting of the controversial scientific professional life of Charles Darwin as it is a reconstruction of the Darwin's marriage and relationship. Whatever you think of Charles' discoveries and theories, you have to appreciate that he was a good man, husband, and father. It was interesting to read about the way that the Darwins turned their disagreements (science vs. religion, knowledge based on empirical More...

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May 16, 2011

Garrett rated it:

This book is about Charles Darwin and his relationship with this wife, Emma. The book begins with Charles contemplating the pro's and con's of marriage, making a list on a piece of paper. He decides that while there are several good reasons to stay a bachelor his whole life, married life is preferable. While considering relatives and friends he knows, he finds Emma, a cousin with quite a different personality than his own. The book continues to illustrate the events leading to their marriage, th More...

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Apr 05, 2011

Brenden rated it:

I love Chuck and appreciate his contribution to the world and its bumpy religion dominated history. Unfortunately, I did not like this book about him. I felt that the author was so hell-bent on telling her story in such a new light that she lost sight of the bigger picture: writing a good book. I will give her credit for presenting the material in a new fashion, but all she really did was take a normal biography of his and remove anything relatively controversial concerning his theories and its More...

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Apr 04, 2011

Sara rated it:

This is the nonfictional story of Charles Darwin and his wife Emma. The story is told using their journals and letters to each other creating an intimate story between the two. It does not completely focus on Charles' research, but it is a large part of the story. The core of the story is about Charles and Emma and the family and life that they create together.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It educated on me on the reality of what Charles Darwin's research and findings were reall More...

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Apr 03, 2011

Maddy rated it:

Almost from the beginning, I loved this book and the way it was written. Before starting out, I was a little nervous at the thought of “non-fiction” and worried it would read like a textbook. I thought this book was masterfully written in that the non-fiction subject matter was so easily understandable and interesting. With the abundance of letters, journal entries, and other forms of primary evidence included, the book felt like a really detailed story, I never got lost in detail or dull sci More...

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Mar 30, 2011

Angie rated it:

If I could, I would give it three and a half stars. The book deals with Charles and Emma's relationship and their personal struggles with finding God amid the scientific theories that Charles was developing. Emma was deeply religious and anguished at times over Charles' loss of faith. Charles himself anguished over his loss of faith and was never sure where God fit into the picture, but could not completely discount him. An interesting book, which makes use of both of their personal writings More...

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Feb 23, 2011

Dan rated it:

Heiligman's biography represents a touching and personal look at the marriage of Charles and Emma Darwin. Though the couple faces a key difference in religious beliefs, Charles and Emma constantly appear willing to support one another emotionally even when it means acting against his or her respective core values. Emma, the devout Christian who promises to love God following the untimely death of a childhood friend, stands behind Charles even as he pens his controversial The Origins of Species p More...

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Feb 14, 2011

Carly rated it:

Deborah Heiligman creates an intriguing glimpse into the life of one of the most influential scientists of all time. Heiligman uses Darwin's journals and letters to accurately depict his life beyond his scientific theories.Starting at the beginning of Darwin's young adult life, we watch him struggle over the decision to share his time for science with a wife. Then we watch him learn to be a good spouse and father, and witness his inner self battle the decision of whether his new scientific disco More...

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Jan 04, 2011

Agatha rated it:

This is a very readable biography of Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma. It was a National Book Award Finalist. The author approaches the subject from the point of view of their relationship and their marriage, and the strengths that their differences brought to the table.
Though first cousins, the two were quite different: Darwin was the scientist and
Emma was the religious one. They had 10 children, but only 7 survived to
adulthood, as was typical of that time (Darwin was actuall More...

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Nov 17, 2010

Margaret H. rated it:

I love this book with all my heart. I am not normally a big fan of non-fiction books. Although I often here that such-and-such dry tome “reads like a novel,” it’s extremely rare that I ever encounter one that does. Well, Charles and Emma is one of those rare occasions. The story being told is relatively simple, but Charles and Emma Darwin are such charming and remarkable people, and Heiligman’s eye for detail so fine, that the pages seem to pass in a blur of amusing anecdotes. At a time when rel More...

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Oct 30, 2010

Kristen rated it:

Over the summer, I read Creation: The True Story of Charles Darwin by Randal Keynes (after hearing Keynes talk about his book on NPR). I thought the book Creation was an interesting look at how Darwin came to his belifs and how he "evolved" in thought over time. A main theme of Creation was how the death of Annie influenced Darwin and his thoughts on religion, evolution and humanity. And while I found the book interesting I wanted more on the Darwin's personal story. The book Charles a More...

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Oct 10, 2010

Marelu rated it:

I loved this book--listened to CD's in my car. Roslyn Landor's reading of the details of their lives taken from letters, memoirs and research documents brought it all to life. I don't know if I'd have thought to use a British accent in my head if I'd read the book but hers certainly added depth and richness to the story. I thought the author Deborah Heiligman brought the characters to life and revealed many fascinating and intimate details of daily life in the Darwin household. Of course their More...

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Oct 03, 2010

MG rated it:

A really interesting biography and one I read relatively quickly. I have been reading a few books on Darwin lately (and started his autobiography a while ago), so one devoted to his relationship with his religious and brilliant, open-minded wife was fascinating and moving. The conflict between evolution and creation has never been a personal one for me, as I believe that each reside on two different epistemological universes. But it is evident that since the publication of On the Origin of Speci More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 07, 2010

Megan rated it:

This was a Printz honor book. I don't get that. I don't smell teen appeal here whatsoever or even think that a teen would pick this up, unless someone was doing a report on Darwin. What's more, I'm unhappy that a book about such an interesting person turned out to be so dull.

It's a run of the mill biography, not heavy on the theory, although science is addressed, and most of it revolves around Charles and Emma's home life. She was religious, he was not, but they got along swimmingly More...

7 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 01, 2010

Margaret rated it:

This biography of Charles Darwin begins with him putting together a list - on one side of the page are reasons to get married, on the other reasons not to. “better than a dog anyhow” vs. “less money for books.”

One of the big reasons not to is his growing sense of disbelief in God and religion. Darwin makes his choice, beginning a 43-year partnership with his cousin Emma Wedgwood, but her steadfast belief in God is the one issue that comes between them.

Heiligman tries to us More...

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Jul 15, 2010

Sunday rated it:

I enjoyed this book - it wasn't gripping, but it was good enough to hold my interest. Heiligman takes a new look at Charles Darwin via his marriage to Emma Wedgwood (of the Wedgwood pottery family). The author clearly read through hundreds of documents and THOUSANDS of letters to pull this story together. Charles and Emma did not have a long courtship, but were deeply in love from the beginning of their marriage of almost 50 years. The book really highlights the religious contexts of the time an More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

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