Pre-Owned Darwin: A Life in Poems (Hardcover) 0307272397 9780307272393

• Format: Hardcover
• Author: Ruth Padel
• ISBN10: 0307272397
• ISBN13: 9780307272393

Ruth Padel, an acclaimed British poet and critic, is the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin. Here, in readable, vivid verse, she brings us his life: how Darwin lost his mother at the age of eight, repressed all memory of her, and poured his passion into solitary walks, newt collecting, and shooting; how his five-year voyage on the HMSBeaglechanged everything. In 1838, he began publishing his findings and working privately on groundbreaking theories about the development of animal species, including human beings. Each moment is piercing and distinct as Padel summons up crucial breakthroughs, both intellectual and personal. We witness Darwins nervous proposal of marriage to his cousin Emma and the steadfast, complex union that ensued; during the raising of their ten children, three of whom died, Darwin was painfully aware of the gulf between Emmas devout Christian faith and his own growing religious doubt. Enriched by marginal notes and by a fascinating introduction about the familys attitudes toward Darwins thought in successive generations, Padels poetry not only follows the great drama of his discovery of evolution but also imagines the fluctuating emotions of the private man and tender father. A moving and powerful tribute, with an unquantifiable depth of family intimacy and warmth.