Emma Darwin studied drama and theatre arts at Birmingham University and then worked in academic publishing before turning to photography and writing. A great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma Wedgwood, Emma now lives in London with her two children. The author of The Mathematics of Love, she is finishing a Ph.D. in creative writing at Goldsmiths College.
"A convincing and involving read. A book to lose yourself in this summer." -- Daily Mail (London)"An ambitious beginning, as much a ghost story as a romance." -- The Observer"Emma Darwin's prose is golden and convincing. The book is an addictive, engaging foray into historical fiction." -- Express"This is that rare thing, a book that works on every conceivable level...An uncommonly good read...A real achievement." -- London Times"A novel rapturous with the joys of history...Anna's story is told in a wonderfully convincing, brittle, adolescent voice." -- The Australian"The two stories that Darwin tells here add up to something hauntingly beautiful." -- Washington Post Book World
This debut novel from Charles Darwin's great-great-granddaughter combines fiction, history and family legacy. Having lost a leg at the Battle of Waterloo, Stephen Fairhurst, ensconced at Kersey Hall, is not surprised that Hetty Greenshaw rejects his marriage proposal. But he is caught off guard when he finds he can share his darkest thoughts with Hetty's independent, artistic sister, Lucy Durward, who is fascinated by early attempts at photography. When Lucy accompanies Hetty and Hetty's new husband to Europe, Stephen escorts them around the battlefield where he once fought. Alternating with Stephen and Lucy's tale is the story of 15-year-old Anna Ware, left at Kersey Hall with her Uncle Ray in 1976 while her mother vacations. Uncle Ray has just shut down Kersey Hall School and taken in Anna's grandmother, a cruel drunk. Anna befriends neighbors Eva and Theo, who introduce her to photography and teach her about love. Darwin describes art, photography and warfare in meticulous detail. A gifted observer and novice storyteller, she loses her narrative way focusing on secondary characters (Stephen's mistress, the neglected boy Cecil), but she finds it in Anna's voice, Stephen's story and her portrait of Lucy. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
"A convincing and involving read. A book to lose yourself in this summer." -- Daily Mail (London)"An ambitious beginning, as much a ghost story as a romance." -- The Observer"Emma Darwin's prose is golden and convincing. The book is an addictive, engaging foray into historical fiction." -- Express"This is that rare thing, a book that works on every conceivable level...An uncommonly good read...A real achievement." -- London Times"A novel rapturous with the joys of history...Anna's story is told in a wonderfully convincing, brittle, adolescent voice." -- The Australian"The two stories that Darwin tells here add up to something hauntingly beautiful." -- Washington Post Book World
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