Illuminating Darwin: Arabella's Light - Jill George - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Jill George

GENRE: Historical Fiction

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A novel illuminating the life of Arabella Buckley, a published author and a staunch advocate of Darwin’s theories in the 19th century. Loved learning about this gutsy woman who has been forgotten by history, though the writing could have worked a little better for me.

Story Synopsis:

1864. London. Twenty-four-year-old Arabella, a vicar’s daughter, doesn’t want to get married or become a governess as per her mother’s wishes. To ensure her independence, she secures a job as a literary assistant to renowned geologist Charles Lyell. Her naturally scientific bent of mind is put to good use under Lyell’s guidance. But what changes Arabella’s life further is interacting with her idol and Lyell’s good friend, Charles Darwin. Though Darwin believes in female inferiority, he can see potential in Arabella and readily collaborates with her. Over the course of time, Arabella decides to popularise the theory of evolution by writing a book about it using simpler language, such that even scientific novices would understand it. Thus begins her new career as a scientific author. But can everything be smooth going for a woman author-cum-scientific thinker in the 19th century?

The story comes to us mainly in the first person perspective of Arabella, with some interludes in third-person points of view of the male scientists.

The most important reason to pick this book up is to know more about a woman who had been forgotten until just a few decades ago. Male scientists in the 19th century sometimes had female literary assistants (usually because of their neater handwriting), and some of these women contributed to their research. However, their names were never mentioned in any scientific treatises as they weren’t considered scientists. Moreover, women were considered inferior due to their “smaller brains” and hence incapable of intellectual thought. The same would have been the case with Arabella Buckley, but she used her brains to choose a path not often taken before.

Arabella might have begun as a literary assistant to Lyell, but soon nurtured the dream of writing her own book. She decided to present Darwin’s complicated theory of evolution in an easier variant, officially aiming her book at younger readers, to ensure that evolution was understood and accepted by lay people. Keeping in mind that she was a vicar’s daughter, she viewed evolution in synchronicity with her religious beliefs, and showed how religion and science could achieve a common point of faith without undermining the other. Arabella wrote several books, many of which presented the magic of nature and science in a fairy-tale-like style to make it more appealing to its readers.

The author has put tremendous amount of research in the book, and it shows on almost every page. This works both for and against the book. Her detailed note at the end highlights the factual and fictional elements of the book, and shows how much effort she has put into bringing the first ever novel on Arabella Buckley’s life to fruition. The book highlights not just Arabella’s scientific achievements but also her interest in spirituality and her personal life. I love how the author portrays her in a realistic manner, depicting not just her strengths but also her vulnerabilities and her mistakes. The book also presents insights on several scientific luminaries of the 19th century such as Charles Darwin, George Wallace and Thomas Huxley.

However, at times, the novel reads more like a documentary than as a fictionalised novel, with some conversations sounding too dry and some scenes getting too fact-oriented. There are many jumps in years (always indicated clearly at the start of the chapter), but Arabella’s first-person voice somehow sounds the same throughout. The shift between first person for Arabella and third person for the other scientists sometimes feels jarring, especially in Darwin’s perspective where he reminisces about his family. I understand that this was done so that we could know more about Darwin, but it didn’t feel smooth to me. Some of the conversations, especially at the start of the book, feel very forced, as if forcibly trying to convince us of Arabella’s wit and intellect. Also, I am not in agreement about the portrayal of intimacies. (I always feel awkward reading intimate scenes of actual historical people. Personal choice; YMMV.)

There are several add-ons in this book, even beyond the author’s note. The brilliant preface highlights how many women are unsung in the annals of history. I loved how balanced the preface was, aiming to celebrate not only the women who've been forgotten but also those men who were champions of women thinkers The extensive glossary provides chapter-wise details on all key personages and scientific terms. I wish I had realised its existence at the start of the book because I struggled through some of the names and found myself lost at times. Having the glossary hyperlinked via footnotes would have made a difference, at least in the digital edition. There is also an afterword by Bernard Lightman, a professor at York University (Toronto) and author of ‘Victorian Popularizers of Science’, talking about Arabella’s significance as one of the key science popularizers. The novel also includes book club questions. There are photos as well, but these are midway the book. I’d have loved for the photos to be at the end as they are more connected to the second half.

Despite a few points in the writing that could have worked better for me, I still enjoyed learning about this inspiring woman who wasn’t afraid to tackle the intimidating task of bringing science to the masses and to declare her support for evolution even though it was maligned as being anti-religious.

Definitely recommended to historical fiction readers as well as STEM readers. I shall keep an eye out for this author’s works in future because I love writers who give research its due importance while penning historical fiction.

My thanks to author Jill George and BookSirens for the DRC of “Illuminating Darwin: Arabella's Light”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.