New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini illuminates the life of Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace—Lord Byron’s daughter and the world’s first computer programmer. The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. But her mathematician mother, estranged from Ada’s infamous … estranged from Ada’s infamous and destructively passionate father, is determined to save her only child from her perilous Byron heritage. Banishing fairy tales and make-believe from the nursery, Ada’s mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education grounded in mathematics and science. Any troubling spark of imagination—or worse yet, passion or poetry—is promptly extinguished. Or so her mother believes.
When Ada is introduced into London society as a highly eligible young heiress, she at last discovers the intellectual and social circles she has craved all her life. Little does she realize how her exciting new friendship with Charles Babbage—the brilliant, charming, and occasionally curmudgeonly inventor of an extraordinary machine, the Difference Engine—will define her destiny.
Enchantress of Numbers unveils the passions, dreams, and insatiable thirst for knowledge of a largely unheralded pioneer in computing—a young woman who stepped out of her father’s shadow to achieve her own laurels and champion the new technology that would shape the future.
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I have been a Jennifer Chiaverini fan for the past two years. I first read The Spy Mistress and I absolutely loved it! It was informative, but entertaining at the same time. When Enchantress of Numbers showed up on NetGalley, I unhesitantly requested it.
Enchantress of Numbers is a book about Augusta Ada Byron King, Lady Lovelace, the daughter of poet George Gordon, Lord Byron. We are giving the history between Ada’s parents and the Separation that happened soon after her birth. Ada never knew her father, but his shadow of fame and tainted character follows her well into adulthood.
Instead of poetry, Ada has a fascination with mathematics. She enjoys the subject, as well as the sciences. This grows into a desire to discover something and be known for her work in science. Ada surrounds herself with like-minded people, including Mr. Babbage, the inventor of both the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine.
This book is pretty dense, it’s 421 pages long and it definitely felt like every single one of those pages. The beginning is only of Ada’s parents, I honestly thought the book would be about her mother. Honestly, the introduction could have been condensed into fewer pages but still communicate the estrangement between the two.
The rest of the novel is a kind memoir from Ada. I found most of it unbelievable. As a toddler, she remembers and processes so many things. It’s just not possible. These pages span for what seems like ages (I started this book in October and just finished at the end of February).
The rest of the novel when Ada is grown and has made be debut is a constant battle between her and her mother. Because Ada has ‘bad Byron blood,’ she is forced to have moral and character lessons, hidden away from view, and every aspect of her life guarded by her mother. It was exhausting. Ada seemed to be doing everything right and what was asked of her, but her mother (or her mother’s trusted friends) always found fault in her.
Honestly, the only interesting part of this book was the last 150-200 pages. It was all about Ada and her own household and children. And her work. I did a little research on her, and apparently she’s considered a pioneer of computer science. I saw a little bit of this in the last 30 pages, but that was it.
In my opinion the book was not a good representation of Ada Lovelace. I looked at Chiaverini’s other books and it appears this was her first Victorian set novel, so that might be part of it.
Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini receives 2 stars.
This is really a story about how even brilliant women have been diminished in their abilities by societies & times in which they live.
Ada Lovelace has been dubbed the world’s first programmer. That’s clearly not an accurate representation. But she did apply her extensive mathematical background to the realization that the same mechanical system that can be used to program weaving machines can be applied to make calculations of other sorts. She didn’t just propose it, Lady Lovelace, Lord Byron’s only legitimate child, wrote a sample algorithm to show how it could be done. Her tragic story is not as fascinating as it is very frustrating. What could have this woman accomplished if she lived today? Or even better, in a society that treated women as intellectual equals to men?
Very informative but almost too detailed. Not a quick read. I did enjoy it.
so-so
I’m ready to read anything this author writes!
Excellent historical fiction read
Fascinating
Great historical fiction about Lady Ada.
I usually love Chiaverini’s books but this one dragged on, and while I did finish it, I often thought of just stopping. Nothing very interesting or exciting.
I loved this book !
Excellent!
Fascinating story of the first person to write an algorithm-a woman from the victorian age and the daughter of Lord Byron no less.
This is another great historical novel authored by Jennifer Chiaverini. I enjoy any of her historical novels, always well researched and masterful wordsmithed and crafted. I’m looking forward to her newest book–Mrs Lincoln’s Sisters–its surely going to be a page turner.
just a good read. based on fact
I loved this book! The author stated in her acknowledgments, “ For me, one of the great joys of writing historical fiction is the opportunity to bring little-known or forgotten historical figures to the forefront of the story” and it is one of my greatest joys in READING historical fiction to learn about these characters! I will definitely read more of her work.
As a female in the Information Technology profession, it is fascinating to learn more about the founders of the industry – especially if they are women. I have known about Ada Lovelace for a number of years, but had very little knowledge of her. A novel is a great way to see both sides of a person – the professional and the personal. Well done by Ms. Chiaverini!!
What women had to go through to take part in life outside motherhood when they were exceedingly good at what they could do.
What a wonderful story and book! Mixing history of poet Byron, his wife and daughter, and real people who have made history such as Mr. Burbage and his first attempts to build a calculation machine -or as we better know it – a computer. But don’t let that lead you astray … this is a story about people, most especially Byron’s daughter, who suffered her mother’s attempt to kill all that was creative in her soul, wanting her to avoid the sins of her father. And so she turned to mathematics, algebra, calculus and with her fine intelligence, turned them into her creativity built an amazing life.
I’m the person on the planet who is the least interested in mathematics and such, but I was completely riveted by this wonderful book! I urge everyone to read The Enchantress of Numbers.
Interesting to find out what this intelligent woman accomplished with math and computer engineering
One of my favorite authors. This book didn’t disappoint.