Exceptional tales of emancipation and evolution at the birth of the modern era. Winner of US National Book Award. 'Andrea Barrett's work stands out for its sheer intelligence. The overall effect is quietly dazzling.' New York Times Set against the backdrop of the nineteenth century, this elegant collection of stories take their impulse from the world of science. Interweaving historical and fictional characters, they illuminate the secret passions of those driven by a devotion to, and an intimate acquaintance with, the natural world. 'Barrett's stories fascinate...she pulls us into them as into fast-moving water.' San Francisco Chronicle 'Beautiful stories about the wonder and work of science. The title novella describes the horrors of typhus in the newly arrived Irish immigrants to Quebec, and suggests that, in epidemics, medicine is more a piece of politics than a form of science. In Barrett's hands, science is transformed from hard and known fact into malleable, strange and thrilling fictional material.' Boston Globe 'An extraordinary story collection. Barrett blends a sure grasp of the history and method of science into each of her evocative tales.'