Ancient History

So, you know how people think history is a bunch of names and dates and is REALLY boring?  (Is that last part true? It seems to be the general stereotype). I personally don't find history boring, but I can see why a lot of people might. A history book can be awfully short on details and that personal touch. Which is one of the reasons for biographies and historical fiction. Case in point:

This week I read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly. [Warning: if you read the author's bio in the jacket of this book, you run a high risk of developing a temporary inferiority complex!] I think I stumbled onto this book through the Amazon recommender system, but I'm not entirely sure. The recommender system is a hit and miss approach to finding new books to read, but assuming that's how I actually found this book, it paid off this time.

As I think of it now, I'm kind of surprised that the turn of the century from 1899 to 1900 isn't more of a highlight in history classes. I mean, come on. Turn of the century. It's a big deal. And this is a time period that gets overlooked in general, which is pretty ridiculous. Just to give you a taste of the historically significant issues this book addresses: changes in women's position in society, evolution and Darwinism, the development of the telephone, the post-Civil War era, Southern society, and science.

Admittedly, historical fiction is going to have limitations. Because it is fiction, authors are going to take some liberties in their writing, and Kelly makes a note of this in the Acknowledgements. But, what it does accomplish is it generates interest in an audience that might otherwise not care. I mean, look at that list of topics! So many ways to connect! And once a child (or adult!) has read about Darwinism in a historical fiction work, they may be interested in knowing more. So they learn about Charles Darwin, and his theories. Then they will find that he was controversial, and they might wonder why. And maybe they'll learn about the social values and context of Darwin's theories. And before you know it, they have learned some history!

So, nutshell: This is a really good book, and it presents a unique perspective on a time in history that on the surface, seems pretty dull, but is really quite fascinating.