Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love

Galileo Galilei's telescopes allowed him to discover a new reality in the heavens. But for publicly declaring his astounding argument—that the earth revolves around the sun—he was accused of heresy and put under house arrest by the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Living a far different life, Galileo's daughter Virginia, a cloistered nun, proved to be her father's greatest source of strength through the difficult years of his trial and persecution.

Drawing upon the remarkable surviving letters that Virginia wrote to her father, Dava Sobel has written a fascinating history of Medici—era Italy, a mesmerizing account of Galileo's scientific discoveries and his trial by Church authorities, and a touching portrayal of a father—daughter relationship. Galileo's Daughter is a profoundly moving portrait of the man who forever changed the way we see the universe.

"Sobel is a master storyteller... . [she brings] a great scientist to life." —The New York Times Book Review

"Innovative history and a wonderfully told tale." —Newsweek

"Gripping." —Los Angeles Times

"[Galileo] carefully preserved more than 100 of [his daughter's] letters... . Interwoven, in Dava Sobel's graceful translation, throughout this vibrant account ... they attest to an extraordinary love." —The Boston Globe

* Winner of the Christopher Award and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award

* Named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, and the American Library Association