Author: Deborah Heiligman
Format: Hardcover
Published: Henry Holt, 2009

Charles Darwin, in his late 20s, drew a line down a piece of paper and proceeded to list reasons to marry and reasons not to marry. The "Not Marry" side grew long. Darwin feared the loss of freedom, the loss of stimulating conversations with "clever men," the obligation to participate in polite society, the expense and anxiety of children, the loss of time, and most importantly (to us, anyway) the loss of money to buy books. A wife, on the other hand, would be reliable companion, "better than a dog anyhow." Charles Darwin, so reluctant to marry, would find in his wife a loving spouse and an intellectual peer. Emma, a devoutly religious woman, was nonetheless a staunch supporter of her husband and his seemingly heretical ideas. Their debates and discussions deeply impacted his life's work as Heiligman's meticulous research reveals. Her biography of the Darwins' marriage and intellectual partnership boasts strong writing and ample quotes from their letters, journals, and other papers. The supposed conflict between science and religion, Christianity and evolutionary theory is as controversial today as it was when The Origin of Species was first published 150 years ago, making this a timely and valuable piece of historical writing. Ages 12 and up.