A great read for Women’s History Month

Caroline Hershel discovered a comet and nebula in the 18th century. She earns a salary for her efforts from the King of England! Wow!

I chose this book to read during Women’s History Month. Caroline Hershel is the protagonist and this story is based on her experiences during the Georgian Era. It’s a remarkable story. The author Penny Haw used great care to weave a heaping measure of facts into her historical fiction novel. There are so many great features of the book to highlight. First and foremost is starting every chapter with the date. These headings call attention to the fact that Caroline and her brother William accomplished these amazing astronomical feats during the 18th century when this field of science was just gathering momentum in England. Williams’ appointment to the the court as the King’s Astronomer is a unique position that holds our fascination. Later, Caroline is offered a salary for her efforts in the field of astronomy from the court. This move is simply jaw-dropping. (Maybe she felt the earth stand-still that day!) By this time, Caroline had discovered a comet and a nebula and invested hours in recording her brother’s observations as his assistant. For the King of England to offer her a salary to continue this work distinguished Caroline as the first woman to be paid to work in this field.

Next I just loved all the supporting characters. Gabriel Corden is a knight in shining armor in my book. Caroline’s shy mis-steps with Gabriel were frustrating, but their enduring friendship became an important story element. Margaret, Alex’s wife, struggled with health complications, yet she showed great strength and spoke words of wisdom to Caroline. Mrs. Mary Pitt, William’s wife, was another character to warm up to and respect.

Throughout, I was just reminded of how vulnerable women were previous centuries. Caroline’s life could have been turned upside down at any moment if her brother William had been an unreasonable man full of self-pride and folly. My favorite quote from the book was when Caroline realized she had choices!

I read a digital format of this book supplied to me from Netgalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark. Grab a copy of this new release. You’ll learn a few new scientific terms and maybe you will end up being a stargazer yourself.