Review - The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott

The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau 2009
Hardback 287 pages



There is only one way that I can stomach a romance, and that is if it contains a healthy dose of history to go along with it. Luckily The Coral Thief deftly combines both romance and suspense within the historical context of the end of the Napoleonic Wars. During the reign of Napoleon, France underwent an intellectual revolution. Paris became the epicenter of new ideas, new thoughts, it was truly a time of revolution, both politically and scientifically. With the fall of Napoleon and the reinstatement of the monarchy, the importance of Paris as the center of progressive scientific thought slowly receded.

I have to admit, this book hit me in all the right places. The strong female lead, the in depth look at the science behind the story and the fact that it stayed true to it's historical context. I love books that can transport you back in time to really see what it may have been like to be a new student coming to Paris for the first time, being exposed to new ideas, new beliefs, new everything. That sense of wonder at discovering the world is larger and more grand than you ever thought possible is a gift that this author can give to every one who reads this book. That is why I love fiction, in a world that often seems devoid of surprises and wonder, it is nice to see what the world may have looked like to someone else, to see their wonder and surprise.

It is rare to find a book so dedicated to upholding the science and history in a work of fiction, but Stott does just that. You can tell through her passages the mood, the explosiveness of the period and you can almost see the menagerie in the Jardin des Plantes with her wonderful descriptions. Her book made me crave the museums of Paris. I want to stroll by the river Seine, smell the fragrance of the gardens, see the architecture and beauty of the Grande Galerie de l'évolution. I too want the wonder that Stott so masterfully creates for her main character, Daniel.

Daniel is a sympathetic character, a naive young graduate of an England college, on his way to Paris to study under the famous scientist Cuvier. While on his journey to France he meets a woman, a part of Paris's underground intellectual movement who not only steals his heart, but also a set of rare corals and manuscripts for his new position. Daniel then sets off on a journey to find her, and as he delves deeper into this life of thieves, corrupt police and revolutionary scientists, he begins to question his place in the world and the faith and values that had always seemed to him to be immutable.

I have seen that Stott has also written a biography of Darwin entitled; Darwin and the Barnacle, you can guess it will be next on my reading list!