by Dava Sobel
First published 1999
Galileo Galilei, the "father of modern science," ignites a firestorm when his revolutionary discoveries about the heavens defy the Catholic Church. Torn between his faith and his conscience, Galileo fights to reconcile the cosmos he observes with the God he reveres. His greatest source of strength through this tumultuous period? His daughter, a brilliant nun who becomes his most trusted confidante. In this sweeping saga, the personal and the historical intertwine as Galileo navigates the perilous shoals of 17th-century Italy, ultimately finding solace in the enduring bond between a father and his daughter.
Genres: science, historical-fiction, religion, biography-memoir
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: faith-vs-conscience, father-daughter-relationship
Setting: Italy
432 pages · Paperback · Bloomsbury USA