Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace
The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmakerand Switchboard Soldiers 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 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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Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace
The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmakerand Switchboard Soldiers 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 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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Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace

Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace

by Jennifer Chiaverini

Narrated by Virginia Leishman

Unabridged — 20 hours, 2 minutes

Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace

Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace

by Jennifer Chiaverini

Narrated by Virginia Leishman

Unabridged — 20 hours, 2 minutes

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Overview

The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmakerand Switchboard Soldiers 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 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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Enchantress of Numbers

“[An] exquisite biographical novel . . . a quintessential example of the form . . . Wholeheartedly recommended for historical-fiction fans and STEM enthusiasts.”—Booklist

“Cherished Reader, Should you come upon Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini . . . consider yourself quite fortunate indeed. . . . Chiaverini makes a convincing case that Ada Byron King is a woman worth celebrating.”—USA Today

“An enchanting story about one woman’s struggle for intellectual recognition and independence.”—People, Book of the Week

“[A] fascinating homage.”—Real Simple

“While Lovelace may not have received the credit she was due in her own time period, Chiaverini’s novel stands as a fitting ode to one of the greatest women in the history of science.”—Harper's Bazaar

“Chiaverini writes captivating stories of forgotten women in history, including that of the young math and science genius Ada Lovelace, responsible for writing the world’s first-ever computer code. . . . Chiaverini brings [Ada Lovelace] to life around you. . . . Emotionally evocative and rich in detail, this historical novel will keep you enthralled until the very end.”—Bustle

“You’ll come away from this book wondering how many other pioneering women in science have been overlooked.”—Bitch Media

[Enchantress of Numbers] is a fascinating look at how science and art do not stand at opposite ends of the spectrum, but rather—at their best—work together, and bring us toward a new, undreamed-of future.”—Nylon

“Jennifer Chiaverini is a master of historical fiction, and her latest novel, Enchantress of Numbers, is no exception. . . . You'll be glued to the page.”—PopSugar

Enchantress of Numbers tells the story of [Ada Lovelace’s] fascinating (and too-short) life. Historical fiction STEM is the literary genre we never knew we needed.”—HelloGiggles

“This fascinating portrait of Lord Byron’s only legitimate child is not only a picture of a time and place, but of a woman struggling with her nature, passion, and desire for learning. Chiaverini’s novel, with its straightforward prose, is both inspirational, touchin,g and memorable.”—RT Book Reviews

“[An] enthralling historical novel.”—Paste

“Chiaverini once again shows her considerable skill, breathing life into historical figures that are too little known.”—Shelf Awareness

"Fascinating."—The National Examiner

Kirkus Reviews

2017-09-03
Mother-daughter tension sets the stage for this closely researched portrait of Ada Lovelace, the only legitimate daughter of poet Lord Byron.Chiaverini's (Fates and Traitors, 2016, etc.) latest historical novel details Ada's struggles to please her mother, Lady Byron, nee Annabella Milbanke, who so feared that Ada would succumb to the influence of Byron's bad blood that she forbade the child from reading poetry or indulging in any flight of fancy. Annabelle's own turbulent marriage to Byron lasted less than a year. She worried that Byron suffered from either madness or, worse, moral corruption, and after discovering his incestuous liaison with his half sister, Augusta, she fled with 7-week-old Ada. Thus began Ada's lifelong struggle to please her mother by suppressing half her lineage. Chiaverini details Ada's trials and tribulations with her mother's jealous dismissal of nurses and governesses who dared to tell the girl fairy tales. The emotionally neglected child became a ticking time bomb, eager to rush into inappropriate intimacies. Ada nevertheless became a profoundly talented and imaginative mathematician. Cast as Ada's memoir, Chiaverini's novel uses lines from Byron's poetry as chapter titles, charting Ada's discovery of her own talents and acceptance of her father's influence. Eventually, Ada found her closest friends in Mary Somerville and Charles Babbage, both of whom encouraged her intellectual creativity, as did her supportive husband, William, Lord King. Yet as Ada's intellect brilliantly wed practical mathematics to poetic genius, her ambition was constantly undercut; even her beloved Babbage presumed she would subordinate her career to his work. Arguably the first person to conceive of computer programming—an idea inspired by watching looms—Ada should have been lauded for her contributions to mathematics and technology. Yet her mother's, her husband's, and her society's ideas about appropriate behavior for women suppressed her genius. A compelling yet heartbreaking homage to the mother of computer science.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940170473243
Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date: 12/05/2017
Edition description: Unabridged

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Chapter One
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Excerpted from "Enchantress of Numbers"
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Copyright © 2017 Jennifer Chiaverini.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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