Figuring

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NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY ESQUIRE AND BOOKPAGE. Figuring delves into the complexities of love and the quest for truth through the interconnected lives of historical figures over four centuries, starting with astronomer Johannes Kepler and concluding with marine biologist Rachel Carson. The narrative features a diverse cast of artists, writers, and scientists—primarily women and queer individuals—whose personal struggles and relationships profoundly influenced their public contributions, reshaping our understanding of the universe. Key figures include astronomer Maria Mitchell, sculptor Harriet Hosmer, journalist Margaret Fuller, and poet Emily Dickinson. The book raises essential questions about what constitutes a good life and the nature of lasting impact: Are achievement and acclaim sufficient for happiness? Is genius or love the true measure? Peripheral figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Darwin, and Walt Whitman enrich the narrative, weaving together themes of music, feminism, scientific history, the evolution of religion, and the intersection of astronomy, poetry, and Transcendentalist philosophy that sparked the environmental movement.