Search - Galileo's Daughter : A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love

I ordered _Galileo's Daughter_ on a whim. Wow. It was really, really good. The story is the story of the life of Galileo, and especially of his relationship with his older daughter, who is a nun with the convent name of Maria Celeste. The time period featured here is not one that I've ever been especially interested in. Nor did I know anything about Galileo, (beyond that Indigo Girls song and a conspiracy theory that someone told me when I was a teenager, that the Church actually knew already that the earth went around the sun, they just weren't ready for the public to know) or think that it was a lack in my life not to, but this book was riveting. Sobel did a great job of keeping you interested with the narrative and the letters from Maria Celeste to her father, without neglecting contextual information about the politics and church doctrine of the time. This book transformed my understanding of this period of Italian history. The idea of being arrested, tortured, or even executed for disagreeing with church doctrine is chilling. If you are interested in science, history, or the relationship between church and state, then order _Galileo's Daughter_ right away. Dava Sobel also wrote a similar book which I plan to investigate: _Longitude:The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time_. Five stars.

Family history interwoven with scientific theories being discovered and lots of religious politics. One of those books everyone tells you to read...and they are right!

This book is a great combination of biography and memoir, and is told using a unique construction. The author has researched well the later life of Gallileo, and presents his story of experimentation, mathematics and presentation of Copernicus' earth-centric theory of the solar system and surrounding uproar in great detail, but interlaces those factual episodes with one half of a set of correspondence. She uses the surviving letters of his daughter to him during the latter half of his life to add to the dry facts the daily routine of his life and his concerns on more mundane things. Truly a unique combination of factual history and daily life.

Read this for my online book club, The Reading Cove. We all voted for it, but this was NOT a good book club book. Galileo's life is extremely fascinating, as he was a brilliant mind, but GALILEO'S DAUGHTER by Dava Sobel was not only *not* about his daughter, but it was written like a college text book, not a memoir.

The title appears to be a marketing ploy. Suor Maria Celeste's letters were unevenly interspersed with the recounting of her father's life experiences, scientific discoveries and writings.

I feel there was enough going on in Maria Celeste's life at the convent to tell a very engaging tale that was ACTUALLY about Galileo's Daughter and his relationship with her, but the author clearly wanted to write mainly about Galileo.

If you have a specific interest in all things Galileo, you'll find this book worthy of the time, if not, skip it. I'm pretty sure there are much better books on Galileo Galilei. This one puts you to sleep...and it's definitely not suited for book clubs! ;-)

I totally enjoyed reading this book both because it is historically informative and well researched, and yet conveys the warm personal and loving relationship between Galileo and his daughter. Although the events took place over 400 years ago, the personal concerns expressed by Sour Maria Celeste, his daughter, through her letters make the reader feel connected. She frequently asks for money to support her cloistered nuns, always expressing her needs in a humble yet artful way. And he can never resist her requests. Their personal warmth is counterpoint to the power and control the Church of Rome sought relentlessly to impose on Galileo and his inquisitive mind. Although the Pope could effect house arrest away from his home, Galileo and his daughter remain connected and support each other through their letters and small favors they did for each other. The book physically has two covers - Galileo on the outer and his daughter on the inner cover. This aptly indicates the two stories that are enmeshed throughout the book.