I head a fantastic interview with the author of this book, and having eyed some of her other titles, decided it was time to read something by her. The author's books are crammed with explorer's and scientists. This book of short stories ties together her growing, and fictitious world, based upon the emergence of modern science in 19C.

I have to say the first story in the book, from which the book takes it's title, really alienated me from the rest of the book. It is about a surveyor, who is mapping the Himilayas. His true interest, however, is in biology, and inspired by the work of Darwin and his compatriots, he takes up a correspondance with a famed scientist, and begins collecting his own samples of high altitude lichen and mosses.

Each of the stories in the book, explores some part of the emergence of modern science. Explored are paleontology, meteorology, entymology, and germ theory.

Also explored is the impact science has on the relationships of the characters. And implied, is that there is some genetic link between both the characters, and their love of science.

The stories are well written and interesting. I had never thought about how people arrived at theories about rain or meteors before. That the world presently has a totally different order than it once had, is a big realization to me.

One of the more touching stories is about a teacher whose purpose in life is to find evidence for his theory that fossils are remnants of the Flood. His students play a cruel trick on him, which I will not reveal, but the betrayal the teacher feels, is a personalized version of the betrayal many people have felt and continue to feel when science comes at odds with faith.

My favorite story in the entire volume was the final story entitled The Cure. It is about tuberculosis and the emergence of germ theory. Crammed into it are all sorts of the 19C problems that made tuburculosis such a threat. Mass migration (and immigration), poor ventilation, misunderstanding of the disease and how it spread, the ostracization of its sufferers, etc. Having read another book this year about tuberculosis (Year of My Indian Prince, which I highly recommend for its descriptions of The Cure prior to the invention of antibiotics) it is a fascinating subject to me. But Barrett's treatment is equally as interesting.

In fact, the final story changed my mind about the entire book, and while I'm not sure I plan to read her other volumes, I can say that I recommend this book, particularly to people who love fiction and are intersted in the origins of many theories that we take for granted today.

There is a marvelous presence in this book, and that is that is the passion for knowledge that each of the characters possesses. It is one that grips every human at some point in their life, and Barrett writes about it with a passion of her own.

Overall rating: interesting. Not for everyone, but good. B.

Released on Friday, September 12, 2003 at FIDER in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA.

I gave this book to my boyfriend's mother to read on the plane home.