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The Naturalist's Daughter
By Tea Cooper
Historical Fiction, Time-Slip, Women's Fiction, Romance
Audiobook, Paperback & eBook, 368 Pages
August 20, 2024 by Harper Muse
Summary
Two fearless women—living a century apart—find themselves entangled in the mystery surrounding the biggest scientific controversy of the nineteenth century: the classification of the platypus.
1808 Agnes Banks, NSW
Rose Winton wants nothing more than to work with her father, eminent naturalist Charles Winton, on his groundbreaking study of the platypus. Not only does she love him with all her heart but the discoveries they have made could turn the scientific world on its head. When Charles is unable to make the long sea journey to present his findings to the prestigious Royal Society in England, Rose must venture forth in his stead. What she discovers will forever alter the course of scientific history.
1908 Sydney, NSW
Tamsin Alleyn has been given a mission: travel to the Hunter Valley and retrieve an old sketchbook of debatable value, gifted to the Public Library by a recluse. But when she gets there, she finds there is more to the book than meets the eye, and more than one interested party. Shaw Everdene, a young antiquarian bookseller and lawyer, seems to have his own agenda when it comes to the book. Determined to uncover the book's true origin, Tamsin agrees to join forces with him.
The deeper they delve, the more intricate the mystery of the book's authorship becomes. As the lives of two women a century apart converge, discoveries emerge from the past with far-reaching consequences in this riveting tale of courage and discovery.
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My Review
THE NATURALIST'S DAUGHTER is a story of discover, family, perseverance, and love set mostly in Australia. One woman seeks to represent her father and his discoveries. Another seeks to prove those same discoveries years later. Both fight for their place as women in their world and society, and in a field that is predominately men. Highly recommended to historical fiction fans who are looking for a story both intriguing and heartfelt.
This is a steadily paced story that shifts from the early 1800s to the early 1900s related to the discoveries of the platypus in Australia. The shifts from one time to the other were handled fairly well. There were a few times I was really invested in what was happening and then it shifted to the other storyline, which pulled me out of the story. This wasn't often though as I found both storylines interesting. There were a few climatic moments and the story continued to build in emotional intensity as it progressed and reached towards the end, which made me want to turn the pages faster. I also really liked all the characters, Rose as she emulates and then represents someone very important to her, and then Tamsin as she fights for what she believes is right while also trying not to fall for the charming solicitor. It was honestly an enjoyable story from beginning to end, even in my frustration with some of the societal constrictions of the time, and the dishonestly, sexism, and racism of some of the people.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a very interesting story about a subject and premise that I haven't come across before in any of my other reading. It was well written, with fully fleshed characters, and a story that kept me engaged from start to finish. I'm planning to read this author's previous works and look forward to her next release!
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
You can find the author here.
Have you read any other time-slips or books about historical natural discoveries?
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