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A Matemática do Amor
A Matemática do Amor, a extraordinária estreia de Emma Darwin, é um registo profundamente comovente da dor da perda, do ardor da paixão e do poder redentor do amor.
Estamos em 1819 e Stephen Fairhurst, um veterano de Waterloo, deseja apenas ficar em paz.
Em Kersey Hall, a casa à qual regressou após um longo exílio em Espanha, espera esquecer os horrores da guerra e recordar somente o grande e secreto amor que perdeu.
A sua crescente amizade com a progressista Lucy Durward, cimentada através da troca regular de correspondência, vai despertar os fantasmas do passado e mudar o curso da sua vida.
No Verão quente de 1976 a adolescente Anna está pronta para se divertir.
Em vez disso é enviada para o que parece ser o pior local do mundo para passar as férias de Verão: uma falida escola rural gerida pelo seu tio distante. E assim, aborrecida e sozinha, envolve-se na vida de dois homens: Theo, um fotógrafo de guerra exilado, e o homem a quem a casa pertencera cento e cinquenta anos antes, Stephen Fairhurst.
Nenhuma das gerações pode, contudo, sonhar com uma paz duradoura. O passado transporta demasiados segredos para ser esquecido e o futuro carrega o amor e a dor dos afectos.
Estamos em 1819 e Stephen Fairhurst, um veterano de Waterloo, deseja apenas ficar em paz.
Em Kersey Hall, a casa à qual regressou após um longo exílio em Espanha, espera esquecer os horrores da guerra e recordar somente o grande e secreto amor que perdeu.
A sua crescente amizade com a progressista Lucy Durward, cimentada através da troca regular de correspondência, vai despertar os fantasmas do passado e mudar o curso da sua vida.
No Verão quente de 1976 a adolescente Anna está pronta para se divertir.
Em vez disso é enviada para o que parece ser o pior local do mundo para passar as férias de Verão: uma falida escola rural gerida pelo seu tio distante. E assim, aborrecida e sozinha, envolve-se na vida de dois homens: Theo, um fotógrafo de guerra exilado, e o homem a quem a casa pertencera cento e cinquenta anos antes, Stephen Fairhurst.
Nenhuma das gerações pode, contudo, sonhar com uma paz duradoura. O passado transporta demasiados segredos para ser esquecido e o futuro carrega o amor e a dor dos afectos.
432 pages, Capa Mole
First published July 3, 2006
38 people are currently reading
629 people want to read
About the author
Emma Darwin
17 books62 followersEmma Darwin was born and brought up in London, but has also spent time in both Manhattan and Brussels, and later studied Drama at university. Her debut novel The Mathematics of Love (Headline Review) is probably the only novel ever to have been simultaneously listed for both the Commonwealth Writers Best First Book, and the RNA Novel of the Year prizes. Her bestselling second novel, A Secret Alchemy (Headline Review), was part of a PhD at Goldsmiths, which explored the writing of historical fiction. Her first non-fiction book, Getting Started in Writing Historical Fiction (John Murray Learning/Teach Yourself), was published in March 2016. She has been helping writers for over a decade, and has particular interests in historical fiction and creative non-fiction; she taught Creative Writing for the Open University for several years, has worked with academic writing as an RLF Fellow at Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Music, and blogs at This Itch of Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
February 29, 2008
Movies have ratings. TV shows have ratings. Music and video games are even rated sometimes. All for the shocking purpose of warning consumers away from things they are likely to find offensive.
If only books had a similar rating system. It might go like this:
S -- Smutty
F -- Frequently Foul Language
Po -- Poorly Written
I -- Incredibly bad or nonexistent plot
Pr -- Pretentious use of Austen-era dialogue that totally misses the mark
B -- Badly conceived, badly delivered
E -- Emotionless, while trying to provoke the most intense of emotions
I could go on. But I've been trying to stifle my sarcastic streak. Ahem. If such a rating system existed, The Mathematics of Love by Emma Darwin would be plastered with all of the above warnings. I picked it up on a whim because I wanted a new book to read and I happened to be standing in a bookstore. Makes sense to buy a book, no?
The one I wanted to buy (Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith) was sold out. Perhaps I should have made the connection between a very popular and well-written book being sold out... and a table full of unwanted books that they were trying to con people into buying. Sucker. I fell for it. It looked promising so I bought it. Never again!
This book was so boring at most points that I had trouble keeping my brain focused enough to follow the slowly plodding plot. I found myself distracted by Dora the Explorer--Dora for pete's sake! If that's not sad, I don't know what is.
I almost didn't post the title on this blog, lest somebody get curious and actually buy it themselves. Then they would come to ME complaining about my reading habits. This book had no redeeming qualities that I can remember. It used controversy to shock--by which I mean, they threw in all sorts of plot elements that added nothing to the plot but were very modern and and edgy. It included a love triangle between an old man, his live-in-bisexual-partner-for-life and a 16-year-old girl. I think I'm gonna go vomit.
It included verbal abuse. Emotional abuse. Physical abuse. Sexual abuse. It had romantic encounters so thoroughly portrayed that I blushed as I tried to skim past them. Complete smut.
I can put up with edgy elements to a story if they are put in the proper light and show the true duality of human nature. I can handle the fact that this world ain't always pretty. But this was just cheap entertainment of the worst kind. It is an insult to Jane Austen that the author read Emma to try to get a feel for the dialogue of the day. The dialogue sounded forced and out of place.
I could go on, mostly because I need to expel the nastiness of reading this book from my mind. But for now I'll summarize by saying this is the first book I can remember actually throwing in the garbage can.
Grade :: F
My apologies to Emma Darwin, great-granddaughter of the Famous Darwin. If you're reading this, you have every right to mutter, "Bloody American! What does she know!"
If only books had a similar rating system. It might go like this:
S -- Smutty
F -- Frequently Foul Language
Po -- Poorly Written
I -- Incredibly bad or nonexistent plot
Pr -- Pretentious use of Austen-era dialogue that totally misses the mark
B -- Badly conceived, badly delivered
E -- Emotionless, while trying to provoke the most intense of emotions
I could go on. But I've been trying to stifle my sarcastic streak. Ahem. If such a rating system existed, The Mathematics of Love by Emma Darwin would be plastered with all of the above warnings. I picked it up on a whim because I wanted a new book to read and I happened to be standing in a bookstore. Makes sense to buy a book, no?
The one I wanted to buy (Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith) was sold out. Perhaps I should have made the connection between a very popular and well-written book being sold out... and a table full of unwanted books that they were trying to con people into buying. Sucker. I fell for it. It looked promising so I bought it. Never again!
This book was so boring at most points that I had trouble keeping my brain focused enough to follow the slowly plodding plot. I found myself distracted by Dora the Explorer--Dora for pete's sake! If that's not sad, I don't know what is.
I almost didn't post the title on this blog, lest somebody get curious and actually buy it themselves. Then they would come to ME complaining about my reading habits. This book had no redeeming qualities that I can remember. It used controversy to shock--by which I mean, they threw in all sorts of plot elements that added nothing to the plot but were very modern and and edgy. It included a love triangle between an old man, his live-in-bisexual-partner-for-life and a 16-year-old girl. I think I'm gonna go vomit.
It included verbal abuse. Emotional abuse. Physical abuse. Sexual abuse. It had romantic encounters so thoroughly portrayed that I blushed as I tried to skim past them. Complete smut.
I can put up with edgy elements to a story if they are put in the proper light and show the true duality of human nature. I can handle the fact that this world ain't always pretty. But this was just cheap entertainment of the worst kind. It is an insult to Jane Austen that the author read Emma to try to get a feel for the dialogue of the day. The dialogue sounded forced and out of place.
I could go on, mostly because I need to expel the nastiness of reading this book from my mind. But for now I'll summarize by saying this is the first book I can remember actually throwing in the garbage can.
Grade :: F
My apologies to Emma Darwin, great-granddaughter of the Famous Darwin. If you're reading this, you have every right to mutter, "Bloody American! What does she know!"
October 23, 2012
I ‘discovered’ this book by accident, while browsing the author tables at the Historical Novel Society conference in London. I was intrigued by the blurb; I have an instinctive interest in debut novels, even though this one has been out for several years, and my work-in-progress is also set in two time periods. Enough hooks there for me to buy a copy, and it proved to be an intelligent, beautifully written book that kept me reading late into the night. I found myself re-reading some passages purely to appreciate the prose.
Both main characters are finely drawn. The book opens in 1819 as the Peterloo massacre is witnessed by a crippled officer, a survivor of the Napoleonic wars. The story of his wartime traumas, and of his lost and secret love, is interwoven with the story of a rebellious, teenage girl in 1976. She has been parked with an uncle in the crumbling mansion that was once the officer’s home. Both characters are written in the first person, a technically challenging approach that works well in this book. Ms Darwin has also managed to write very convincingly from a male as well as female point of view.
There are one or two minor implausibilities that somehow added to my enjoyment of the book. The officer is much more explicit in his memoirs than, I suspect, any Regency gentleman would be, even in private, and the 1976 teenager is wonderfully articulate for a girl of her background. The character of Lucy is probably more fiercely independent and liberal than any Regency lady would be allowed to be, given the restrictions of that era, but her character is delightful for those traits and by the end of the book I was perhaps a little in love with her myself.
However, some of the interactions in the 20th century sections would today be given the label of ‘abuse’, even though they are written with immense tenderness through the eyes of a willing ‘victim’. That conflict was the only discomfort that remained as I finished a thoroughly satisfying read.
I shall certainly look out for more of Emma Darwin’s work.
Both main characters are finely drawn. The book opens in 1819 as the Peterloo massacre is witnessed by a crippled officer, a survivor of the Napoleonic wars. The story of his wartime traumas, and of his lost and secret love, is interwoven with the story of a rebellious, teenage girl in 1976. She has been parked with an uncle in the crumbling mansion that was once the officer’s home. Both characters are written in the first person, a technically challenging approach that works well in this book. Ms Darwin has also managed to write very convincingly from a male as well as female point of view.
There are one or two minor implausibilities that somehow added to my enjoyment of the book. The officer is much more explicit in his memoirs than, I suspect, any Regency gentleman would be, even in private, and the 1976 teenager is wonderfully articulate for a girl of her background. The character of Lucy is probably more fiercely independent and liberal than any Regency lady would be allowed to be, given the restrictions of that era, but her character is delightful for those traits and by the end of the book I was perhaps a little in love with her myself.
However, some of the interactions in the 20th century sections would today be given the label of ‘abuse’, even though they are written with immense tenderness through the eyes of a willing ‘victim’. That conflict was the only discomfort that remained as I finished a thoroughly satisfying read.
I shall certainly look out for more of Emma Darwin’s work.
June 29, 2008
Throughout this book are two parallel stories, one of which takes place in 1819, and one in 1976. Each chapter tells a bit of the story of Stephen Fairhurst, a British soldier who faught against Napoleon Bonaparte. Stephen has not had much love in his life, and he embarks on an unlikely friendship by correspondence with an intelligent, unconventional young woman. Next, each chapter has some of the story of Anna Jocelyn Ware, a fifteen year old British girl, who is visiting the house that belonged to Stephen Fairhust during his lifetime. I found the book a bit slow to grab my attention in the beginning, but as it progressed, I enjoyed the story of Stephen Fairhust. It is only his story that caused me to give the book four stars. I did not enjoy the story of Anna Ware. Anna's life with her mother, who has left her for a time with family she doesn't even know, sounds like it has been mostly dismal. As Anna comes to slightly know her uncle and grandmother, it is clear that they have many serious problems and are not equipped to take care of themselves, much less Anna. It is no wonder with the lack of people who show any care for Anna that she becomes intimately involved with a man who is old enough to at least be her father. The only parts of Anna's story that I enjoyed were her interest in some letters that Stephen Fairhurst wrote, and her compassion for a six year old boy named Cecil. I felt that Anna's story was left without resolving anything. Overall the book was interesting, but I came to dread the pages in each chapter about Anna.
October 9, 2008
I was commenting before on how un-critical I feel since I've not put any negative reviews on this site. Good thing I read this piece of work, because all that changes now.
And what a piece of work it is.
The story of this novel is about a teenage British girl who for some reason has a mother who doesn't want her around for the summer, as she is off on a romp with her current boyfriend. Said teenager is then shipped off to stay with an uncle on an old English estate. She's met this uncle only once when she was a toddler, and her doddering grandmother who was not supposed to be there, appears on the scene as wel. She is given some old letters from the original owner of the estate and his story is told simultaneously. Interesting premise with a lot of potential.
I'll give you an idea as to what I hated the most. If those things don't bother you then perhaps you should try this novel out.
Firstly, it's silly in its predictability. You know from the first introduction of two certain people that they will eventually get together, even though one of the people is absolutely pining for someone else until just about the second-to-last page of the novel. But, since that doesn't work out, he realizes that all along he's been longing for the woman in the #2 slot. Secondly, Darwin writes STUPID love scenes. I have no other word for it. I'm not such a puritan that I can't take a little love in my novels, but the gratutitous sex scenes felt like they'd been inserted wherever the cursor was blinking when the author went back to do a revision. With phrases like, "My love was burning as his hands brushed my arm when he walked by," I kept checking to see if Fabio had magically appeared on the cover. Not to mention that these horrid phrases seem to pop up in the middle of a description of how one would develop film. Thirdly, I was astounded at the main characters' ability to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about an abused child in the house while simultaneously lusting about for a man as old as her grandpa. It seemed like another direction that the novel could have gone in, but since the author clearly didn't have it in mind to go there, she shouldn't have introduced this poor boy at all. It was icky to read of his bruises and her verbally abusing him, only to have no resolution or follow-up with him. Fourth-ly, it made me want to smack my head against the wall, because I was just sure that this novel would turn itself around and somehow be a good read. That made me not like it even more. In short, it was poorly written, poorly executed and in poor taste.
If you are taken in by the title (which makes no sense to me), the cover (which is a lovely photo, I must admit, but also makes no sense with relation to the story line), or simply feel like wasting your time by reading an awful book, then this is for you. I'm just so glad I checked it out from the library and didn't waste a dime of my hard-earned cash on it.
That's all.
And what a piece of work it is.
The story of this novel is about a teenage British girl who for some reason has a mother who doesn't want her around for the summer, as she is off on a romp with her current boyfriend. Said teenager is then shipped off to stay with an uncle on an old English estate. She's met this uncle only once when she was a toddler, and her doddering grandmother who was not supposed to be there, appears on the scene as wel. She is given some old letters from the original owner of the estate and his story is told simultaneously. Interesting premise with a lot of potential.
I'll give you an idea as to what I hated the most. If those things don't bother you then perhaps you should try this novel out.
Firstly, it's silly in its predictability. You know from the first introduction of two certain people that they will eventually get together, even though one of the people is absolutely pining for someone else until just about the second-to-last page of the novel. But, since that doesn't work out, he realizes that all along he's been longing for the woman in the #2 slot. Secondly, Darwin writes STUPID love scenes. I have no other word for it. I'm not such a puritan that I can't take a little love in my novels, but the gratutitous sex scenes felt like they'd been inserted wherever the cursor was blinking when the author went back to do a revision. With phrases like, "My love was burning as his hands brushed my arm when he walked by," I kept checking to see if Fabio had magically appeared on the cover. Not to mention that these horrid phrases seem to pop up in the middle of a description of how one would develop film. Thirdly, I was astounded at the main characters' ability to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about an abused child in the house while simultaneously lusting about for a man as old as her grandpa. It seemed like another direction that the novel could have gone in, but since the author clearly didn't have it in mind to go there, she shouldn't have introduced this poor boy at all. It was icky to read of his bruises and her verbally abusing him, only to have no resolution or follow-up with him. Fourth-ly, it made me want to smack my head against the wall, because I was just sure that this novel would turn itself around and somehow be a good read. That made me not like it even more. In short, it was poorly written, poorly executed and in poor taste.
If you are taken in by the title (which makes no sense to me), the cover (which is a lovely photo, I must admit, but also makes no sense with relation to the story line), or simply feel like wasting your time by reading an awful book, then this is for you. I'm just so glad I checked it out from the library and didn't waste a dime of my hard-earned cash on it.
That's all.
December 10, 2010
Fab. I'll have to go back over my list of books but this is a leading contender for my best read of 2007 (not that I ever get around to the award ceremony). As with many of the best reads it was a book I wasn't at all sure I'd like when I pulled it off the library shelf.
Historical story of a Waterloo veteran muddled up with a present day (well 1976, does that count as historical yet?) story of a teenage girl. The paired stories fought for my attention and at the joins between them I was torn between wanting to keep on reading the half of the tale I was in and needing to find out what was happening in the other half. Extremely well written, I look forward to more books from Darwin, this is her first.
Historical story of a Waterloo veteran muddled up with a present day (well 1976, does that count as historical yet?) story of a teenage girl. The paired stories fought for my attention and at the joins between them I was torn between wanting to keep on reading the half of the tale I was in and needing to find out what was happening in the other half. Extremely well written, I look forward to more books from Darwin, this is her first.
December 16, 2009
I loved this book and can't understand the negative reviews. Ms. Darwin is enormously talented and this book is masterfully crafted and true literature. I thought the characters were very sympathetic and their dilemmas believable. The sex was gritty and honest (who are these people?)and the love stories very poignant. Perhaps people were mis-led by the title and expected some sappy romance or morality tale?
May 23, 2009
I was kind of surprised by the varied reviews of this book on Goodreads - I guess you either love or hate it.
The book is two interwoven stories - Anna, in 70s England staying with her uncle at his country house, Kersey Hall, and Stephen, a Waterloo veteran who inherits Kersay Hall after the war. Anna, a precocious teenager lonely in the empty hall seeks the company of Theo & Eva, photographers who begin to teach her about cameras. Stephen corresponds with Lucy Derwood, an artist, and a close friendship forms between them which is tested when Stephen must come to terms with his past.
It's a lovely lush story and great to listen to, especially Stephen's correspondence with Lucy. I loved Anna learning about photography and playing with light, but I was kind of ambivalent about where Anna's relationship with Theo went - and I wasn't sure that it resolved enough for me to be happy with it.
I picked up the book because of Emma Darwin's fantastic blog on writing, and I'll definitely be looking for her next novel.
The book is two interwoven stories - Anna, in 70s England staying with her uncle at his country house, Kersey Hall, and Stephen, a Waterloo veteran who inherits Kersay Hall after the war. Anna, a precocious teenager lonely in the empty hall seeks the company of Theo & Eva, photographers who begin to teach her about cameras. Stephen corresponds with Lucy Derwood, an artist, and a close friendship forms between them which is tested when Stephen must come to terms with his past.
It's a lovely lush story and great to listen to, especially Stephen's correspondence with Lucy. I loved Anna learning about photography and playing with light, but I was kind of ambivalent about where Anna's relationship with Theo went - and I wasn't sure that it resolved enough for me to be happy with it.
I picked up the book because of Emma Darwin's fantastic blog on writing, and I'll definitely be looking for her next novel.
June 15, 2013
I have to admit that I picked this book up because the author was related to Charles Darwin. That being said, I really wasn't very impressed with this novel.
I found the relationship between Anna and Theo to be quite disgusting. A young girl and a man (that was old enough be her grandfather) sharing a sexual relationship didn't even need to be in the story. I thought it seemed to be in there for the shock value. To make matters worse, Anna was friends with Eva (Theo's romantic partner). What a gross love triangle. I would have liked Anna to have found someone closer to her own age to share her coming of age moments.
The story also bored me whenever the author wrote about Anna (unless the author chose to disgust me instead). I only found Stephen's story to be more interesting and I liked him better than Anna.
I honestly wasn't very impressed with most of the characters and none of them really stood out as memorable. I did, however, enjoy the information about early picture taking to be fascinating and liked how photography was woven throughout both stories.
I found the relationship between Anna and Theo to be quite disgusting. A young girl and a man (that was old enough be her grandfather) sharing a sexual relationship didn't even need to be in the story. I thought it seemed to be in there for the shock value. To make matters worse, Anna was friends with Eva (Theo's romantic partner). What a gross love triangle. I would have liked Anna to have found someone closer to her own age to share her coming of age moments.
The story also bored me whenever the author wrote about Anna (unless the author chose to disgust me instead). I only found Stephen's story to be more interesting and I liked him better than Anna.
I honestly wasn't very impressed with most of the characters and none of them really stood out as memorable. I did, however, enjoy the information about early picture taking to be fascinating and liked how photography was woven throughout both stories.
February 25, 2024
My first ever DNF!
This book is so boring, I’ve put off reading the rest of it for 15 days. Finally putting it back in the shelf and swapping it for another!
This book is so boring, I’ve put off reading the rest of it for 15 days. Finally putting it back in the shelf and swapping it for another!
May 6, 2008
After reading a novel about Darwin (The Darwin Conspiracy), I moved on to a novel written by a descendant of Darwin -- again a novel moving between two characters living in different times, and again one where discovered correspondence plays a prominent role.
Half the book centers in 1815, following an injured veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, Stephen Fairhurst, who lost his love and his leg. Returning to England where he has inherited property, he begins corresponding with a woman/artist. The other half follows a 15-year old girl, Anna, in the summer of 1976 who has been sent to live with her uncle - in the same property. Anna befriends two photographers living nearby, and happens upon Stephen Fairhurst's letters.
I enjoyed this novel. I thought the author did an excellent job moving stylistically between two writing styles. Both stories captured me; I hated to leave either character when the narrative changed. I would recommend it to friends.
Half the book centers in 1815, following an injured veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, Stephen Fairhurst, who lost his love and his leg. Returning to England where he has inherited property, he begins corresponding with a woman/artist. The other half follows a 15-year old girl, Anna, in the summer of 1976 who has been sent to live with her uncle - in the same property. Anna befriends two photographers living nearby, and happens upon Stephen Fairhurst's letters.
I enjoyed this novel. I thought the author did an excellent job moving stylistically between two writing styles. Both stories captured me; I hated to leave either character when the narrative changed. I would recommend it to friends.
September 4, 2007
The two voices in this book are very distinctive and makes it a very interesting read. As many reviews from the press indicated, the way she describes art and photography in this book is amazing. I am still not sure how I feel about the ending. The resolution is more suggested than clear and I love/hate this!
September 4, 2008
This was a cool book with two storylines, 1819 and 1976. The stories take place in the same house and have common themes, although they are not otherwise connected. It was a little slow to get going, but the writing is lovely, the characters are interesting, and I liked that it was more thematic than plot-based.
March 12, 2009
I did read this book, despite a real lack of interest in the plot. It was all I had available at the time and I was desperate. Not reccomended for lovers of engrossing, emotional stories that are character-driven and leave you still involved with the story after you have turned the last page. This, in my opinion was a convoluted mess and never engaged my interest.
May 19, 2011
Going by other GR responses this seems to be either a love it or hate it book. I gave it four stars overall but there was one supernatural element that Darwin tried that she didn't quite pull off. Coming back to finish this review & others piling up when I can find time (I have notes so won't forget) unfortunately my study workload suddenly doubled..
July 16, 2007
mathematically speaking, intrigued by the parallels and contrasts of the same house and region--different occupants and eras--not exactly E=mc2 but it did get a few dusty synapses firing for me. enjoyed the photography facet of the story as well. deja vu explained plainly.
November 17, 2008
One of those books that I can't decide if it was poorly done or I just didn't get. Too much unexplained and no strong connection between the stories, at least to me.
from bookmooch but I don't remember who rec'd this...
from bookmooch but I don't remember who rec'd this...
Read
July 29, 2011I very nearly gave up on this book but I'm glad I didnt. By the time Anna met Theo in the 70's storie, and when Steven got to Brussels in the 19th century part, I was hooked. Although I did enjoy it, I wish we found out exactly what Anna's connection with Steven Fairhurst was. Recommended.
August 14, 2012
Hahahaha one of the people who reviewed this called it 'smutty' and 'nasty' ...someone better warn her off these newfangled things called 'novels' immediately.
I really enjoyed this, and didn't find it smutty, nasty, or abuse-packed.
I really enjoyed this, and didn't find it smutty, nasty, or abuse-packed.
October 2, 2012
Two stories intertwined: one of a veteran of the Peninsular war, his Spanish lost love and his friendship with a young English woman; the other about an English teen left to her unknown uncle in the house of the veteran of the first story.
April 22, 2020
I loved reading this beautifully written book. It is about love and follows the lives of Major Stephen Fairhurst, a veteran of Waterloo who also served under Wellington in Portugal and Spain. After leaving the army, brutally crippled, he inherits Kersey Hall in Suffolk, and we join his story at the momentous events at Peterloo in 1819. A private man, he begins to correspond with Lucy, who is keen to learn more about Waterloo. Through his letters, we learn something of the brutality of 19th-century warfare. Stephen is nursing the loss of his great love, and as his story unfolds, he reveals the details to Lucy. Lucy is a woman ahead of her time. Keen to experience all aspects of life before making any decision to settle down.
Stephen's story runs in parallel with that of Anna, a fifteen-year-old girl whose mother has packed her off to stay at Kersey Hall with her Uncle Ray in the hot summer of 1976. Anna comes from a dysfunctional family; her mother has numerous boyfriends and frequently moves from place to place as her relationships break up. At Kersey Hall, Anna meets her grandmother and Uncle Ray for the first time and quickly realises the reason why her mother left home when she found she was pregnant with Anna. There is also a young boy, Cecil living there. Anna is given Stephen's letters to read and, naturally wants to know more about his life. Left to her own devices at Kersey Hall, Anna makes friends with Eva and Theo, photographers who live in the old stables. Feeling sorry for her, they take her their wing and teach her how to take and develop photographs. Anna and Theo's relationship develops when Eva leaves to visit Madrid. Quite simply, they fall in love, despite the age-gap. (This is where you have to accept that life was very different in the 1970s.) Anna has taken Cecil under her wing but something happens, that will change all their lives forever.
Stephen and Anna's stories are bound together by Kersey Hall and photography. The characters are vivid, and although they live in different times, they experience similar feelings and emotions.
Stephen's story runs in parallel with that of Anna, a fifteen-year-old girl whose mother has packed her off to stay at Kersey Hall with her Uncle Ray in the hot summer of 1976. Anna comes from a dysfunctional family; her mother has numerous boyfriends and frequently moves from place to place as her relationships break up. At Kersey Hall, Anna meets her grandmother and Uncle Ray for the first time and quickly realises the reason why her mother left home when she found she was pregnant with Anna. There is also a young boy, Cecil living there. Anna is given Stephen's letters to read and, naturally wants to know more about his life. Left to her own devices at Kersey Hall, Anna makes friends with Eva and Theo, photographers who live in the old stables. Feeling sorry for her, they take her their wing and teach her how to take and develop photographs. Anna and Theo's relationship develops when Eva leaves to visit Madrid. Quite simply, they fall in love, despite the age-gap. (This is where you have to accept that life was very different in the 1970s.) Anna has taken Cecil under her wing but something happens, that will change all their lives forever.
Stephen and Anna's stories are bound together by Kersey Hall and photography. The characters are vivid, and although they live in different times, they experience similar feelings and emotions.
August 26, 2018
Not sure how title relates
The story jumps back and forth between Kersey England 1819/20's (Stephan and Lucy) ( with flashbacks to Waterloo and the preceding battles) and 1976.(Anna and disturbing set of other char) The tie between the characters is very thin and not real clear. The most obvious tie was the usage of image creation as almost a declaration of independence. Anna with photos and Lucy with drawing(although there was reference to a new-fangled technology of "sun pictures" being discussed and investigated) . And child abandonment/endangering...
Otherwise the story was very hard to follow since it was not always obvious which time frame you were reading. Sometimes it could take a few paragraph to realize. Maybe in the hardcopy it was better illustrated but in the Kindle version there was not transition except with the letters.
The main ties was Stephan's letters to Lucy were being read by Anna and Anna was living in what used to be Stephan's farm.
Both story lines with disjointed and a little disturbing and not unpredictable.
I picked the book up because of the title ( I was a math major in college and like to find novels that tie into other interests) and the fact the author was related to Darwin but that was not enough to carry it. If you are into the history of the Anglo/French wars you might find that part interesting ( it completely lost me)
The story jumps back and forth between Kersey England 1819/20's (Stephan and Lucy) ( with flashbacks to Waterloo and the preceding battles) and 1976.(Anna and disturbing set of other char) The tie between the characters is very thin and not real clear. The most obvious tie was the usage of image creation as almost a declaration of independence. Anna with photos and Lucy with drawing(although there was reference to a new-fangled technology of "sun pictures" being discussed and investigated) . And child abandonment/endangering...
Otherwise the story was very hard to follow since it was not always obvious which time frame you were reading. Sometimes it could take a few paragraph to realize. Maybe in the hardcopy it was better illustrated but in the Kindle version there was not transition except with the letters.
The main ties was Stephan's letters to Lucy were being read by Anna and Anna was living in what used to be Stephan's farm.
Both story lines with disjointed and a little disturbing and not unpredictable.
I picked the book up because of the title ( I was a math major in college and like to find novels that tie into other interests) and the fact the author was related to Darwin but that was not enough to carry it. If you are into the history of the Anglo/French wars you might find that part interesting ( it completely lost me)
July 10, 2017
E quase um mês depois termino a leitura deste livro: primeiro por falta de tempo, depois por desmotivação porque o início da história não envolve muito. Mas como não sou de desistir, a história começou a intrigar-me de tal forma que não largava o livro, menos em ocasiões em que não tinha mesmo hipótese por causa do trabalho.
Adorei o facto de uma bela amizade ter começado com uma correspondência de cartas - facto que não me deixou desistir do livro - e como desta forma se foi apresentando as personagens desta história.
Entre amor, guerra, paternidade, ficam sempre os fantasmas do passado que só com o devido perdão é que se transforma num novo ser. Às vezes é disso que precisamos na vida, de sermos perdoados para podermos seguir em frente.
Ao mesmo tempo, mas 150 anos depois, é descrita a história de Anna que é negligenciada pela mãe e que não tem uma boa infância, apesar de a ter sempre por perto e de lhe dar amor e atenção em algumas ocasiões, porém, não está sempre presente. Anna, estava habituada a mudar constantemente de casa e nas férias vai para casa de um tio, na qual é negligenciada tanto por ele como pela sua avó e, desta forma, refugia-se nos seus vizinhos - principalmente em Theo - e na fotografia. Apesar de estes serem a sua salvação, também irá ser a sua desgraça e vai aprender com esses erros. É também através dela, que vamos conhecendo mais a história do herdeiro daquela casa, que é sua também. Uma descoberta da sua identidade, para que ela se sinta parte de alguma coisa.
No entanto, fico com a ideia de que ficou algo por dizer, será o objetivo da autora terminar assim ou há uma continuação a caminho?
Adorei o facto de uma bela amizade ter começado com uma correspondência de cartas - facto que não me deixou desistir do livro - e como desta forma se foi apresentando as personagens desta história.
Entre amor, guerra, paternidade, ficam sempre os fantasmas do passado que só com o devido perdão é que se transforma num novo ser. Às vezes é disso que precisamos na vida, de sermos perdoados para podermos seguir em frente.
Ao mesmo tempo, mas 150 anos depois, é descrita a história de Anna que é negligenciada pela mãe e que não tem uma boa infância, apesar de a ter sempre por perto e de lhe dar amor e atenção em algumas ocasiões, porém, não está sempre presente. Anna, estava habituada a mudar constantemente de casa e nas férias vai para casa de um tio, na qual é negligenciada tanto por ele como pela sua avó e, desta forma, refugia-se nos seus vizinhos - principalmente em Theo - e na fotografia. Apesar de estes serem a sua salvação, também irá ser a sua desgraça e vai aprender com esses erros. É também através dela, que vamos conhecendo mais a história do herdeiro daquela casa, que é sua também. Uma descoberta da sua identidade, para que ela se sinta parte de alguma coisa.
No entanto, fico com a ideia de que ficou algo por dizer, será o objetivo da autora terminar assim ou há uma continuação a caminho?
May 21, 2024
3.5 stars
A hard book to rate. The story and characters did grow on me. The story line itself is interesting. Two timelines and intersecting places and interests (photography) narrated by the characters, their memories and letters.
The older storyline, that of Stephen, is set soon after WW1, although he has flashbacks to the war itself too. It's told in first person and I found his parts quite tough going at first, I assume due to the language and sentence structure used to reflect the way people spoke and wrote at the time. Until I got used to it, it was almost a relief when Anna's turn to "speak" happened. I sometimes found it hard to stay engaged (or awake!) during Stephen's bits, especially in the beginning before the stories themselves started to draw me in.
It is a richly written book and some of the language and descriptions was lovely. I really would have rated it higher if I hadn't struggled so much.
A hard book to rate. The story and characters did grow on me. The story line itself is interesting. Two timelines and intersecting places and interests (photography) narrated by the characters, their memories and letters.
The older storyline, that of Stephen, is set soon after WW1, although he has flashbacks to the war itself too. It's told in first person and I found his parts quite tough going at first, I assume due to the language and sentence structure used to reflect the way people spoke and wrote at the time. Until I got used to it, it was almost a relief when Anna's turn to "speak" happened. I sometimes found it hard to stay engaged (or awake!) during Stephen's bits, especially in the beginning before the stories themselves started to draw me in.
It is a richly written book and some of the language and descriptions was lovely. I really would have rated it higher if I hadn't struggled so much.
September 22, 2018
I bought this book after hearing Emma Darwin speak at a writing workshop. It is very much outside of my normal reading material - being both a work of historical fiction and a romance - and I was intrigued to see if the writing techniques that Emma had spoken about (she spoke extremely well) worked in practice.
I'll admit that I struggled with the book initially. The two protagonists, set in two different time periods, both written in the first person, were initially jarring, and I struggled to relate one to the other. But gradually the links between them - both personally, geographically and thematically - became apparent, and about a third of the way through I found (and I'm sure Emma would appreciate this metaphor) that everything suddenly came into focus. I was completely hooked, and quickly finished the rest of the novel. I will be buying Emma's other books very soon!
I'll admit that I struggled with the book initially. The two protagonists, set in two different time periods, both written in the first person, were initially jarring, and I struggled to relate one to the other. But gradually the links between them - both personally, geographically and thematically - became apparent, and about a third of the way through I found (and I'm sure Emma would appreciate this metaphor) that everything suddenly came into focus. I was completely hooked, and quickly finished the rest of the novel. I will be buying Emma's other books very soon!
July 2, 2023
This book is well written, and even managed to bring out a couple of tears at the end, but the mixing of the two stories doesn't fully work. I found myself much more interested and engaged in the contemporary story, and felt it could have gone further and more in depth in a complicated topic (a minor in love with a much older man, which as read in the comments, shocked a few readers). While the main plot in the past was interesting, I found myself skipping over yet another level of narration added by the author, the main character's memories of war.
I would say it's worth the time, but something held back Emma Darwin. Maybe her editors, and that stupid concept of "what sells" (which would explain, for example, the long sex scenes, which don't bother me, but felt...well, long).
I would say it's worth the time, but something held back Emma Darwin. Maybe her editors, and that stupid concept of "what sells" (which would explain, for example, the long sex scenes, which don't bother me, but felt...well, long).
October 14, 2019
An absolutely fabulous book. It has been a long time since I have been so immersed in a book. If you like a literary novel with a historical setting devoid of toe-curling cliches, this is the book for you. It is a wonderfully handled panoply of the many different ways humans live and love. A real treat!
October 26, 2019
Wonderful book. normally I totally avoid anything romantic. I bought this book a long time ago and didn't read it until now. It moves between two times, past and present. I think I enjoyed the story in the past more although the teenager in the present came across as a very real character. Complex, sad, happy!
January 6, 2024
Was a slow start, then kinda spun out of control in the last third. The storylines felt a bit rushed at the end, and I felt like a lot of plot points and character motives/actions went unexplained. Most of the character endings were pretty underwhelming or not fleshed out well, not to mention one of the plot lines being kinda yikes. Yet, I read on cuz I had to know what happened. Hmm
May 30, 2017
I might try this another time, as usually this kind of thing would be right up my street.... Unfortunately I found it slow and boring, with no especially likable characters. I put it down after reading about a third of it.
July 30, 2021
The writing in this book is literary and beautiful. Without a doubt. I didn't connect with it overly though. It's a very gentle book. A love story but so much more too. The two storylines were so tenuously connected though and the modern one was a bit lacklustre. 70 percent
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