In The Evolution of Annabel Craig, author Lisa Grunwald's title character lives through the Scopes trial in her hometown of Dayton, Tennessee. Raised a Christian, Annabel hardly remembers learning about evolution in her high school biology class. Her lawyer husband is only too happy to work for the defense, causing a rift between Annabel and their Christian neighbors, as well as between Annabel and her husband. But through witnessing the trial (and taking photographs of it for a friendly female reporter), Annabel begins to discover something about her faith, her marriage, and herself.
This novel doesn't take the viewpoint that one way is right and the other is wrong, but instead shows us the importance of thinking for oneself. We are once again in a time when the government wants to control what is being taught in public schools, putting a strain on neighbor relations and turning teachers into the bad guys. The Scopes trial is where it all started.
I remember learning about the Scopes trial in school and watching Inherit the Wind. This historical novel gives even more background into the town where the trial was held and tries to provide more accuracy to the trial than what was reported in the newspapers back in the 1920s. I enjoyed reading the author's afterword, which gave more historical context.
The Evolution of Annabel Craig is published by Random House and will be available to purchase tomorrow! I received a free ARC.
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