THE LIGHT AMONG US
by Jill George with John Dirring
A tribute to Elizabeth Catherine Thomas Carne written as a historical novel narrated by Carne in the period’s style.
George acknowledges up front that there is little verifiable information available about her protagonist other than confirmation of her unique accomplishments for a 19th-century woman in England: She was a banker, “a published geologist, ecologist, first thinker industrial psychologist, mathematician, industrialist, philanthropist, poet, [and] artist.” And so the novelist collaborated with British historian Dirring to create an intriguing, forward-thinking character almost out of whole cloth and a narrative that paints an informative portrait of the values, customs, and class divisions of the era. The finished product, however, is an occasionally uneven amalgam of fiction, history, and philosophical treatises. Elizabeth, youngest of her parents’ eight children, was born in 1817 into an established banking family in Penzance, located on the shore of the English Channel in Southwest England. Her grandfather was a founding partner of the Penzance Bank. We meet Elizabeth when she is 15, accompanying her father, Joseph, the bank’s leading partner, who is guiding philosopher/economist/politician John Stuart Mill on a “walking tour” of their small town. Joseph has a heavy financial investment in the successful mining operations in Cornwall and an equal intellectual interest in the geological composition of the county. This passion he has passed along to Elizabeth through constant tutorage. Elizabeth gradually realizes that Joseph intends for her to be his designated heir, assuming leadership of the family’s vast holdings and remaining faithful to the family’s legacy. Historically, the novel is fascinating, full of tidbits about Cornwall’s banking, mining, and shipping industries as well as in-depth discussions of the prevalent illiteracy among the miners and farmers. Many of Elizabeth’s musings center around her commitment to educating the masses—both male and female. It’s a complex narrative, but except for sporadic adventures and a star-crossed love story, it’s more didactic and philosophical than emotional.
An engaging history with a strong female lead, although less than riveting dramatically.