Book Review: Charles and Emma

 

 Charles and Emma: The Darwins Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

Summary: (amazon)

Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, his revolutionary tract on evolution and the fundamental ideas involved, in 1859. Nearly 150 years later, the theory of evolution continues to create tension between the scientific and religious communities. Challenges about teaching the theory of evolution in schools occur annually all over the country. This same debate raged within Darwin himself, and played an important part in his marriage: his wife, Emma, was quite religious, and her faith gave Charles a lot to think about as he worked on a theory that continues to spark intense debates.

My Thoughts:

The whole subject of evolution is really kind of controversial, especially if you're religious like me. I understood the theory of evolution before I read this book, but I really didn't know a lot about Charles Darwin. What really stood out to me, was that this novel is about his relationship with his very religious wife--Emma. This was definitely the most fascinating book I have ever read. 

My Thoughts on Evolution.

I believe in God with all my heart. I believe that he created us in his image. But because you believe in a Heavenly Father, it doesn't mean that you can't believe in evolution. I am open to the idea that God created apes and descended us from them. Science proves how close our DNA is to them. That doesn't mean that there was no evolution. I am totally okay with that. It is a possibility, and think about it. There is no exact proof for either theory. 

Content Ratings: Ok!

My Ratings: 5 stars (I loved it)

I would say for ages 12 and up, there were some points made that were difficult to understand. G based on content