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**Review by Michelle Primiano**
//Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith//, a well written and easy to read historical fiction novel, takes the reader on a ride through the life of the esteemed natural biologist, Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma. Author Deborah Heiligman uses a wide variety of primary sources, including Charles Darwin’s hand written notebooks and letters, to create a most authentic feel with clear voice, humanizing this man we often hold on a pedestal for his scientific brilliance. This tale navigates the reader through many varying themes, including life, death, love and marriage, science, evolution, religion, and the attempted consolidation of these two latter, often opposing, ideas. This book could be used in a science classroom to enhance student learning and literacy. For my classroom I could see myself taking excerpts to give students information in a new, non-textbook based way.

We begin our story with a 29 year old Charles, only two years after his circumnavigation on the HMS Beagle, trying to decide if marriage is the right path for him: “Charles Darwin drew a line down the middle of a piece of scrap paper… Across the top of the left hand side he wrote Marry. On the right he wrote Not Marry. And in the middle: This is the Question” (Heiligman 5).

After much comparison and scrutiny, “He wrote on the left side, squeezed in at the bottom, the answer to his question: ‘Marry–Marry–Marry Q.E.D.’” (Heiligman 15) This conclusion that he came to will play an important role in the rest of his life and it ties all of the themes together. After Darwin decides he’d like to get married, he meets up with an old friend, his cousin Emma Wedgwood, whom he begins to see a potential future with. This is where the many major themes come into action.

The first is the difficulty of bringing religion and science together. This theme is shown in the book because Emma has a firm background in religion and Charles has some skepticism about religion. Instead of hiding his religious uncertainty to allow for a more smooth relationship, as suggested by his father, he is open and honest with Emma. After many talks and letters back and forth, Charles proposes to Emma and she accepts. Because of this life-long commitment they have made, Emma’s religion weaves its way throughout the book and even influences the end of Charles’ most well known book, The Origin of Species.

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." -Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species

This text is from the second edition of The Origin of Species printed in 1860. For this edition Darwin edited God back into the equation, said he regretted it after the fact, but never revised that part again to remove God from further editions. Looking at the text for ways that religion and science can work together can be difficult, but interesting. Many people over the centuries have found ways to let science and religion live cohesively. Now even more than ever, most Christian church accepts such concepts as evolution, a dynamic planet and a heliocentric solar system. At one time these ideas were considered heresy and blasphemy.

I found it inspiring that Charles and Emma were unusual in that they were equals in the relationship, more so than most husbands and wives were at the time. This allowed for an open relationship where communication was not brushed aside. Their love and respect for each other was another important theme in the book. After their wedding, they brought ten lives into the world. Not unexpectedly for that time, and possibly due to their genetically close DNA, three children pass away, two in infancy and one, Annie, at the age of ten. Annie’s death had a large influence over Emma and Charles’ relationship.

It seemed that if they could weather losing their precious Annie, they would be able to make it through anything. Annie’s death freed Charles to be more open about his ideas on evolution. It was this, and a letter from another scientist, that catapulted Charles into finishing his life’s work and finally producing The Origin of Species. Alfred Russel Wallace was just a few years behind Darwin in finding the Theory of Evolution. Darwin had spent so long honing every last detail of his theory that other scientists were catching up to his coat tails and as much as he was willing to share in the limelight, he didn’t want his colleagues to think he had stolen Wallace’s idea. Wallace and Darwin both sent papers to the Linnaean Society of London to be presented jointly. Soon after they’re presentation, Darwin had Emma read and edit his book. Within two years it was published. There are many ways this book could be used to enhance a science curriculum and bring more literacy into the science classroom. From a geologic perspective this could be used to supplement information through use of excerpts to augment learning. By opening with an excerpt from the book,

“Charles is very busy finishing his book on Coral island, which he said no human being will ever read, but there is such a rage for geology that I hope better things” –Emma Darwin (Heiligman 111)

students will see [that geology is all the rage and] that Darwin played a part in how we think of the Earth today. By using Darwin’s geological notebooks from the HMS Beagle, students would be able to see what Darwin observed on his trip around the tip of South America. From a historical perspective this text could be used to teach students about diseases of the time, different types of treatments, and the industrial revolution. This book is most applicable to a biology classroom. Evolution is a major section of the biology curriculum. By using this book, as well as other resources, students could get a better understanding of how Darwin came to his conclusions about natural selection. They can also see how religion played a role in his life and how, over the past 160+ years we’ve dealt with these conflicting ideas.

As said in, “Bridging the Literacy Gap: Teaching the Skills of Reading and Writing as They Apply in School Science,” literacy in the sciences is far different than literacy in the language arts. It is a teacher’s job to see that science literacy is considered just as important as language arts literacy. Through the use of Charles and Emma students can learn science content in a form that they’re familiar with. It can bridge the gap between language arts literacy and science literacy. When the suggested activities in the writing and communication guide that is provided are utilized, it is possible expand students literacy so that they can more fully understand the curriculum.

As seen in Charles and Emma, when effort is put forth, anything is possible. Charles showed this through his dedication to writing his books. Charles and Emma also put forth great effort in their marriage, even when great hurdles lay before them. They had great success in their marriage as I expect this book will have great success in creating an environment of continued literacy in every classroom that it touches. “‘Marry – Marry – Marry Q.E.D’ It has been demonstrated; it has been proven” (Heiligman 236).  “Literacy – Literacy – Literacy Q.E.D!” (Primiano 2013)

**Review by Katie Ullmen-Smith**
In this novel by Deborah Heiligman, the reader gets taken on a journey back in time to the mid 19th century, to an era when new ideas were starting to flourish and old morals held strong. In this novel, we learn about Charles Darwin and his life as not only a scientist but a tread setting, groundbreaking genius of his time. As the story opens we learn that Darwin is in a major dilemma as to whether or not he should pursue a marriage or if he should continue with his research and explorations to new and exciting lands. Even though he pines to learn more and break new ground in the scientific field he still feels as though his life will not be complete without a wife and a family.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During this time of self-discovery he starts to get to know one of his cousins, Emma, more intimately and he discovers that he loves her and wants to start a life and a family with her, but there are still many things holding him back. One very interesting part of his journals (where most of the facts in this book were derived from) we see that he composed a Marry or Not Marry sheet which listed the reasons for and against marriage. The fact that Charles listed and thought about everything before making any commitment to an idea or lifestyle was one thing that the reader discovers more and more throughout the book.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One interesting aspect to the story is the fact that it is not just about science and all of Darwin’s discoveries but it is also about religion. Before Charles and his soon to be wife, Emma, get married there are many things that they must discuss in order to start their lives together. Throughout the novel we learn that Emma is extremely religious, she believes very strongly in heaven and the fact that she will go to heaven when she dies and see her sister. The reader learns that Charles is religious, to an extent, but he disputes many facts that the Bible states including the creation of animals and man. Darwin discovers that there are many creatures that have the same traits and that these traits did not just occur but in fact they were adaptations that different species accrued over time. It was very important that Emma realized that Charles did have doubts about creation and the fact that there was some sort of evolution between species. This was a very common theme throughout the whole book with Charles disputing the Bible and turning the whole world upside down with his theories. In one part of the novel the reader learns that Darwin used to connect not only other animals but also his own children to the theory of evolution, “They weren’t lined up in God-made hierarchy, either; they had all descended from the same remote ancestor. Looking at his baby, he was working on a revolution.” (Heiligman, 107)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I thought that it was very interesting how Darwin was breaking through barriers that had never been broken before. He not only was finding new species and finding adaptations in them he was also creating the theory of evolution that he knew would change the world. Reading this and knowing the time period it is amazing that he was so courageous to stand up for his beliefs and change what others were thinking, even if that meant angering many of the religious people of the world. The fact that he did all that and still worried about his home life and about making sure that his wife was comfortable with all that he was writing is an amazing and very surprising thing for that time period. I thought that this piece was great because it not only told the story from Charles’ point of view but it also told it from Emma’s point of view and from the point of view of an outsider. This was a very interesting thing for the author to do because by doing so the reader was able to see the full perspective of the story and all its elements.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can imagine implementing this book into my curriculum in many different ways. I feel as though this would be a very interesting way for students to not only learn about science but it is also good to help illustrate events that occurred in history. This book would be excellent in helping my students see what life was really like in cities during the Industrial Revolution. Living in London during this time contributed to many different health ailments in city dwellers, especially Charles and Emma. The author discusses how much better the characters felt when they lived in the countryside as opposed to the smoggy, dirty conditions of the city. To help illustrate the awful conditions of living in London during this time, the author quoted Charles Dickens when he said, “Some London houses have a melancholy little plot of ground behind them, usually fenced in by four high whitewashed walls, and frowned upon by stacks of chimney…” (Heiligman, 81). The fact that the author goes into detail as to the fact that both the Darwin’s felt much more healthy when they travelled to the countryside begs the question, was Industrial Revolution to blame for much of the sickness during that time?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I feel as though this would be an interesting project topic for my students that would not only be comprised of historical information but also could encompass the health class and the science classes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I really liked the fact that this book could be used for more than just one subject. It would be interesting to see if different teachers could gather together (science, health and history) and try to add this book to their curriculum. I feel as though it may be too long of a book to have in just one of the classes but if each classroom uses the book in some way throughout the year then that can be very beneficial. It would be interesting to see the different projects that can be taken from this book; whether it is a science project on the theories of evolution or whether it is a historical project on the Industrial Revolution or the path that the HMS Beagle took to explore, students would learn a great deal. Overall, this book would be an excellent addition to my curriculum because the author uses writing to take the reader on a historical journey that enriches and enhances ideas that are crucial for understanding this period in time. =

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**Review by Alyssa Navilio**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 2009, Deborah Heiligman book Charles and Emma, The Darwin’s Leap of Faith came out for the public to read. It was the story of Charles Darwin and how his controversial theory of evolution affected his life, especially his married. This novel received and was nominated for many awards and raving reviews from different organizations. Charles and Emma could easily be used in a secondary-level learning and teaching. Students could read the whole story (if time allotted) or the teacher can pick out certain excerpts. This book is written in narrative form as it was Charles Darwin. The story has many themes that would be great for strengthening key concepts of many different contents. English, Social Studies and Science teachers could easily use this book in their classrooms.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first major theme throughout the story is the idea of marriage. In the beginning of the book is all about the internal fight of Charles decision of getting married. He didn’t know if he wanted to leave the single lifestyle behind and have a wife and children. After creating a chart and talking to his father, who was an influential figure throughout his life, he decided to get married especially after meeting Emma.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another major theme throughout the book is the idea of religion. Charles is a religious man to a degree but many of his theories of creation contradict with biblical ideas. He was a man that didn’t hate religion and didn’t want to offend people that did have faith. “He most certainly did not want to murder God. But he felt certain that species were changeable and were changing.” (Heiligman 120). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before Charles engagement to Emma, he tells her of the situation since he knew Emma was very religious. Even though they hadn’t been talking for long, Charles knew Emma was on the one. After the proposal, they still decide to get married and like the title alludes, they take the leap of faith.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“He had chosen Emma, and she had said yes in large part because they had known each other their whole lives. But they didn’t really know each other. It was a big leap to go from being friendly cousins to being husband and wife. What had they done?. (Heiligman 56) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The theme of religion is fundamental all the way through the book and for both of them “the question of faith was an ongoing one.” (Heiligman 140). They studied many different book centered on theology and analyzed the bible together. The main difference between Charles and Emma was Charles needed proof and not just spiritual based. One of Emma’s fears of Charles not believing was not being with him in the afterlife. “Was this true? Were Erasmus, and Dr. Darwin, and Charles himself in hell? Would she see Charles again? These were questions that were not answered.” (Heiligman 231).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The theme of religion also had a strong connection with the theme of death throughout the book. Emma faith was enriched due to the idea of seeing her sister, Franny, in heaven. On contrary, Charles faith was even more questioned after the death of his daughter Anne. Charles believes Anne to be the best combination of him and Emma and was devastated when she died. He did not believe in heaven like Emma. He was there during Anne last breaths and stated:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“As the end came near, he had sat beside her crying, knowing there was nothing he could do; knowing deep in his soul that no matter what Emma believed about heaven, he would never see Anne again. Death was the true end, and his little girl was gone forever.” (Heiligman 151). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Death enabled Charles and Emma to grow closer and, in my opinion, created the most romantic scenes in the book. For example, after Anna’s death, Charles and Emma wrote corresponding letters to each other that were captivated within short quotes in the book. Charles writes to Emma in one letter, “We must be more and more to each other, my dear wife.” (Heiligman 149). Emma writes back in her next letter, “You must remember that you are my prime treasurer (and always have been)” (Heiligman, 149).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The last two big themes in this novel, which are connected, are evolution and science. Charles Darwin life was composed traveling the world and studying many different species and how their traits changed over time. Heiligman talks about the time period of when his book the Origin of Species was published in 1859. The book to Darwin was one long argument, but the style of writing made it an easy read. Darwin was one of the first people to step forward and have evidence to these ideas and people were not open to these findings. As still seen today, Science and Religion are still a very big controversy.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I could easily see me using this book in my middle school science classroom. The main theme of evolution and science in general can connect with standards within the common core. I would connect this book to the evolution and genetics units of my curriculum. This book also highlights many different topics from other contents, for example, Social Studies and English, and if teachers join together, they can create a unit and teach the ideas at the same time. The book does contain content that may be not allowed within the school I teach in. Another thing to consider would be the maturity level of the students compared to some of the content. The idea of first cousins getting married, which is clearly demonstrated in the book, could cause students to get off track. Due to these reasons, I might choose excerpts; rather than having the students read the whole book. I believe I would definitely have copies for students to have if there are interested in reading the whole book on their own time. I thought Heiligman really created a great novel that portrayed a beautiful love story between Darwin and Emma. “Marry- Marry – Marry Q.E.D” It has been demonstrated; it has been proven”. (Heiligman 236).