There are some books that take you by surprise. You weren’t planning on loving them, but they grabbed you immediately. And Enchantress of Numbers is one of those books. Jennifer Chiaverini is a popular writer, and it is easy to see why- this is a masterful piece of fiction. Today I’m sharing why you need to read Enchantress of Numbers!
Enchantress of Numbers, Jennifer Chiaverini
The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. Estranged from Ada’s father, who was infamously “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Ada’s mathematician mother is determined to save her only child from her perilous Byron heritage. Banishing fairy tales and make-believe from the nursery, Ada’s mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education grounded in mathematics and science. Any troubling spark of imagination—or worse yet, passion or poetry—is promptly extinguished. Or so her mother believes.
When Ada is introduced into London society as a highly eligible young heiress, she at last discovers the intellectual and social circles she has craved all her life. Little does she realize that her delightful new friendship with inventor Charles Babbage—brilliant, charming, and occasionally curmudgeonly—will shape her destiny. Intrigued by the prototype of his first calculating machine, the Difference Engine, and enthralled by the plans for his even more advanced Analytical Engine, Ada resolves to help Babbage realize his extraordinary vision, unique in her understanding of how his invention could transform the world. All the while, she passionately studies mathematics—ignoring skeptics who consider it an unusual, even unhealthy pursuit for a woman—falls in love, discovers the shocking secrets behind her parents’ estrangement, and comes to terms with the unquenchable fire of her imagination.
Why You Should Read This…
This is a book that I’ve looked at many times, and it never grabbed me. However, once I started listening to it, I couldn’t turn it off. If you know anything of the Romantic period, you know of the mad, bad Lord Byron. And you probably know that Ada Lovelace was the first computer programmer. But you might not have known that Ada was Lord Byron’s daughter…
Ada’s life is shaped by her father’s, directly and indirectly. This is quite a long book; it starts at her birth and goes into middle age, and doesn’t really skimp. My one criticism of the book is that it could have been a bit shorter in her childhood, but it is nevertheless a fascinating story. Ada persevered through a LOT, especially when it came to her family. (If you think Lord Byron is the whacky parent, you will be mistaken…) I’m thrilled to see such a prolific figure given a full length book!
And if you want more historical fiction, here are my favourite historical fiction audiobooks!
Have you read Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini?
Cheers,
The Historian
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