It's always more than a little embarrassing when a publisher has kindly granted your request to read one of their books and then you don't get to it right away. Or maybe not even for 5 1/2 years. Until you finally decide you'll check it out from the library because even a very late review is better than none. I hope.

Told through Ada's own voice, as a kind of memoir, Enchantress of Numbers chronicles a life spent trying to please a mother who fought to be number one in Ada's heart (to the point where she was constantly firing nurses, governesses, and teachers who Ada grew fond of) despite not seeming to be overly concerned about the amount of time she spent with her daughter. Ada's mother was hyper vigilant to ensure that she turn out nothing like her romantic father. This from a woman who, after only a few months of marriage, kept the title Lady Byron for the remainder of her days. Yeah, it was a complicated upbringing.

When Ada met Charles Babbage and mathematician Mary Somerville, her life began to change. Finally she found her people. Then she married a man who encouraged her intellectual pursuits...as long as she still maintained their homes and raised their children. Even Babbage, ultimately expected her to stand behind him, despite the fact that she essentially conceived of computer programming. After all of that, poor Ada died at the young age of 36, unacknowledged for all she had done.

Chiaverini is an author who digs deep and her extensive research is evident. At 20 hours, it might be argued that she may have included too much of it here. All of the changing of caregivers can get a bit repetitive and moving about the country, for example. Although, it could be argued, all of that made it obvious why Ada was so quick to marry when a man came along who appeared to be supportive.

Ada's personal life comes off as more compelling than her scientific efforts. Perhaps a bit too much explanation in that area; perhaps it was simply overwhelmed by Ada's personal life. Still, I always appreciate learning the history of a woman who has largely gone ignored by history (because, you know, mostly written by men) and who contributed so greatly to computers as we now know them. I can't help but wonder what Ada Lovelace might have accomplished in her life if she had had the means to focus only on her scientific endeavors and if she had lived longer.

I didn't know much about Ada Lovelace or her family before reading this book. I know children were raised differently back then but her mother was a horrible person. However, some of that might have come from the terrible marriage that she had with Lord Byron. Overall, it was an interesting historical read and gave some perspective to how a woman helped create the technology we use today.

To many women, especially those interested in science and mathematics, Ada Lovelace is something of a heroine. I’m not one of these women. I last took a mathematics class at the age of 15 – which was a very long time ago – and the thought of having to take another one is what stops me from considering a return to university. What is calculus anyway? But I’ll always consider reading a novel by Jennifer Chiaverini, even when it’s not on a favorite subject. Enchantress of Numbers is somewhat of a departure from her previous works: it is neither about quilting nor an American historical figure. Ada Lovelace was the daughter of that melancholy poet, Lord Byron, and was his only legitimate child. Her mother, Lady Annabella Milbanke was as intellectual as her husband was fanciful, and insisted that her daughter keep a tight rein on her thoughts. When Ada attempted to combine both intellect and imagination, her mother brusquely shut down her plans.

The novel appears to start with Annabella’s perspective. We see how she met Byron and the development of their relationship. These are difficult pages to read: Byron is a man wholly without God and Annabelle finds she is trapped. Annabelle vacillates between believing that Byron is possessed by evil or that he has a mental illness. She comes across as sympathetic person but Ada’s narrative paints a very different picture, one of a woman obsessed by her estranged husband’s behavior. The novel is written entirely in the first person and, to be honest, it didn’t work for me. Events that happened when Ada was two were described as though she was ten times that age, and they don’t take place as flashbacks.

Also, a warning to readers who choose to read strictly Christian fiction. While this novel is sold by retailers such as Christianbook.com, it’s not a clean read. Lord Byron’s many and well-known liaisons aside, there are descriptions of other sexual activities. Although I’ve read elsewhere that Ada experienced a religious transformation shortly before her death, there is very little written here of Ada’s religious sentiments.

Enchantress of Numbers will most likely appeal to those looking for a biography of Ada Lovelace and interested in her work. In contrast, I found it dry and a little difficult to understand at times. If I had not read anything by Jennifer Chiaverini previously, I’m not sure this would be a good introduction to her work. I am, however, interested in seeing what she’ll come out with next.

Thank you to Dutton for my complimentary electronic Advance Uncorrected Proof of Enchantress of Numbers, which I downloaded for my honest review.

For the most part I found this book to be too long and very dry. It actually put me to sleep a time or two. The prologue itself seemed to go on forever! I did like seeing well-known historical figures like Charles Dickens, Prince Albert, and Queen Victoria. I did find it sad that Ada never met her father, never knew him at all. My favorite part were scenes toward the end when she went to Newstead Abbey and as a grown woman and mother of three children was only now visiting her father's grave for the first time.

I really enjoyed reading about Ada's journey through life. Apart from enjoyment, this book has also expanded my knowledge, since I never really knew what kind of person Lord Byron actually was. The book is well-written and can be read rather quickly despite its length, since the story flows very naturally and keeps the readers' interest. However, since it is a life story, I felt that sometimes it tended to get way too detailed and I felt the urge to skip a few paragraphs in order to reach the interesting part. All in all, it was very enjoyable book.

Enchantress of Numbers tells the story of Ada Lovelace. She was Lord Byron’s only legitimate daughter. She was known to be a mathematician and scientist. She is also credited as being the first computer programer. In this novel, Ada writes her memoirs that describe her relationships with her mother and father as well as her friendship with Charles Babbage. Thus, she is an accomplished woman in her own right.

Ada is very sympathetic and relatable. She is very lonely. She does not have any friends. Her mother never lets her see or associate with her father. Oftentimes, her mother leaves her with governesses and goes on trips with her friends. Ada’s mother is also afraid that Ada will turn out to be an eccentric like her father. Therefore, her mother disapproves of her reading novels or using her imagination. Ada is forced to become a practical woman who invests her time with science and arithmetic. Because her father is famous, she wants to become famous in her own right. She wants to be a self-made woman. Thus, I thought that Ada was a well-rounded character. I could see how her relationships with both her mother and her father have played a big role in her accomplishments.

Overall, this is a novel of ambition, family, love, and dreams. The novel was full of intriguing characters. There were a few flaws in this novel. I thought that it should have been written in third person rather than in first person. The fact that Ada could remember specific details when she was six months old seemed rather unbelievable. I also thought the novel suffered from too much telling than showing. The book also moved rather slowly. Nonetheless, I thought that the novel was meticulously researched, and the story was so compelling that it kept me reading more of what happens to Ada. Enchantress of Numbers has definitely sparked my interest in reading more about Lady Byron and Ada Lovelace. I recommend this novel for fans of Lord Byron and the English Romantic poets. It is a must read for fans of The Determined Heart, The World Within, and Mrs. Poe.

"New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini illuminates the fascinating life of Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace—Lord Byron’s daughter, the world’s first computer programmer, and a woman whose exceptional contributions to science and technology have been too long unsung.

The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. Estranged from Ada’s father, who was infamously “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Ada’s mathematician mother is determined to save her only child from her perilous Byron heritage. Banishing fairy tales and make-believe from the nursery, Ada’s mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education grounded in mathematics and science. Any troubling spark of imagination—or worse yet, passion or poetry—is promptly extinguished. Or so her mother believes.

When Ada is introduced into London society as a highly eligible young heiress, she at last discovers the intellectual and social circles she has craved all her life. Little does she realize that her delightful new friendship with inventor Charles Babbage—brilliant, charming, and occasionally curmudgeonly—will shape her destiny. Intrigued by the prototype of his first calculating machine, the Difference Engine, and enthralled by the plans for his even more advanced Analytical Engine, Ada resolves to help Babbage realize his extraordinary vision, unique in her understanding of how his invention could transform the world. All the while, she passionately studies mathematics—ignoring skeptics who consider it an unusual, even unhealthy pursuit for a woman—falls in love, discovers the shocking secrets behind her parents’ estrangement, and comes to terms with the unquenchable fire of her imagination.

In Enchantress of Numbers, New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini unveils the passions, dreams, and insatiable thirst for knowledge of a largely unheralded pioneer in computing—a young woman who stepped out of her father’s shadow to achieve her own laurels and champion the new technology that would shape the future."

Ada Lovelace is everywhere these days, even on this season of Victoria, so this is a must read, especially as the release day event is at my local Barnes and Noble!

This novelization of the biography of Ada Byron King, daughter of the poet Byron whose mathematically talented mother tried to raise her without the romantic tendencies of her father , gives us an excellent insight into the life of one of the world's first computer programmers and the obstacles she had to overcome of class, gender and intellectual prejudice. A strong young woman, little known in the annals of history, well depicted.

It was very slow going. I was excited about the topic but just had a hard time getting into it. I fear I only made it about half way.

The story of Ada told from her POV. She had an interesting life and this book attempts to fill in some of the gaps to make more of a narrative about her life.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book which means I will not be able to review it. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize for the inconvenience the lack of review may cause you.

I believe the first I heard of Ada Lovelace was from one of my college roommates taking a Women in Mathematics class. Years later, I learned the full extent of her influence on mathematics and early computer science, as well as the fact that she was Lord Byron’s daughter. When I read the description for Jennifer Chiaverini’s Enchantress of Numbers, I was excited to get a more tangible portrait of such a significant woman in STEM than I’d been able to find from simple, factual research (the humanizing of historic figures one of the reasons I adore historical fiction). However, Chiaverini’s approach to Ada Lovelace and the story of her life wasn’t what I had hoped it would be. It’s not badly written, but it did fail to resonate with me and often left me unexpectedly bored.
Enchantress of Numbers is told by Augusta Ada Byron Lovelace in the first person but is narrated by her as an adult and (unknowingly) near the end of her life. Yet it begins with a lengthy examination of how her parents met, married, and how that marriage fell apart. From there, it progresses chronologically through all but the very end of Ada’s life. It’s written as though it could be a memoir and it often felt more like a memoir than a novel. It also tended to feel more like a book about Lord Byron’s legacy and failed marriage than about his daughter. While I don’t doubt that coming to terms with her absent, famous father and the way it impacted how her mother raised her were crucial in how Ada Lovelace grew up and her personal sense of identity, it made the book (and Ada’s life) feel like it was all about her parents and not really about her at all. Just as she seems to reconcile the two influences in her life, the novel (and shortly thereafter, her life) ends.
I know I can be overly picky when it comes to first person narrative, but this novel is one of the best examples of why the approach so often grates on my nerves. Beginning with the extended prologue narrated by Ada though we find out near the end of the book just how late in her life her mother told her that story, there’s revisionism and reflection throughout the novel that keep the events taking place at too great a distance to connect with in any meaningful way. In the first chapter, we learn that Ada is composing the tale possibly for her nearly grown children, so it removes nearly all sense of urgency when she makes a serious social faux pas or when she falls ‘dangerously’ ill. Because it’s narrated in first person, she frequently calls attention to the fact that everything she’s describing is long past and what she thought at the time isn’t what she thinks now and other variations on that theme. It supports the memoir approach to the novel but, along with a heavy reliance on what might well be direct quotes from Ada Lovelace’s letters and papers, I often felt like I was reading a well-sourced but oddly framed biography or book report rather than a novel.
There are gestures toward the angles and subject matter that drew my interest in the first place, but none of them feel entirely fleshed out on the page. The mathematics and Ada’s fascination with and the functioning of the Difference and Analytical Engines are not easy to describe or explain. Chiaverini manages both poetically if not altogether thoroughly or technically. Similarly, the tension between Ada’s role as a mother along with the expectations upon her as a countess and her academic pursuits is addressed superficially but doesn’t reach the depth of feeling I would have expected.
Ultimately, I think the novel was long and meandered more than it should but I also think both are partially the result of the narrative approach and keeping a little too close to the source material, including too much detail of Ada Lovelace’s biography and not enough personality or life.

Really enjoyed this book. Ada was an interesting character. Liked the history of Ada. There were interesting characters and the story flow was very good. The life Ada lived was difficult and challenging because of her mother and her famous father Lord Byron. Ada surrounded herself with interesting characters and her interest in math and science was complex for this time. Her life story was very interesting and was entertaining to read. Highly recommend this book.

I have been a Jennifer Chiaverini fan for the past two years. I first read The Spy Mistress and I absolutely loved it! It was informative, but entertaining at the same time. When Enchantress of Numbers showed up on NetGalley, I unhesitantly requested it.
Enchantress of Numbers is a book about Augusta Ada Byron King, Lady Lovelace, the daughter of poet George Gordon, Lord Byron. We are giving the history between Ada’s parents and the Separation that happened soon after her birth. Ada never knew her father, but his shadow of fame and tainted character follows her well into adulthood.
Instead of poetry, Ada has a fascination with mathematics. She enjoys the subject, as well as the sciences. This grows into a desire to discover something and be known for her work in science. Ada surrounds herself with like-minded people, including Mr. Babbage, the inventor of both the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine.
This book is pretty dense, it’s 421 pages long and it definitely felt like every single one of those pages. The beginning is only of Ada’s parents, I honestly thought the book would be about her mother. Honestly, the introduction could have been condensed into fewer pages but still communicate the estrangement between the two.
The rest of the novel is a kind memoir from Ada. I found most of it unbelievable. As a toddler, she remembers and processes so many things. It’s just not possible. These pages span for what seems like ages (I started this book in October and just finished at the end of February).
The rest of the novel when Ada is grown and has made be debut is a constant battle between her and her mother. Because Ada has ‘bad Byron blood,’ she is forced to have moral and character lessons, hidden away from view, and every aspect of her life guarded by her mother. It was exhausting. Ada seemed to be doing everything right and what was asked of her, but her mother (or her mother’s trusted friends) always found fault in her.
Honestly, the only interesting part of this book was the last 150-200 pages. It was all about Ada and her own household and children. And her work. I did a little research on her, and apparently she’s considered a pioneer of computer science. I saw a little bit of this in the last 30 pages, but that was it.
In my opinion the book was not a good representation of Ada Lovelace. I looked at Chiaverini’s other books and it appears this was her first Victorian set novel, so that might be part of it.
Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini receives 2 stars.

I have never read anything by Chiaverini, but I was intrigued by the premise of the individual depicted in this. I think the strongest piece of this story was the voice of Ada. You could feel the things she felt, understand the frustrations she had, etc. I also found myself comparing a lot of my own relationship to my mother and Ada's to hers (thank goodness my mother is not much like Lady Byron at all). It made me more grateful! I was a bit disappointed in the ending and length of this. Firstly, the ending felt very abrupt and rushed. We had things happen in the afterword that I feel should have been part of the narrative. Then there were bits and pieces of the story that were far more drawn out than they should have been (the obsessive nature made sense with this, but it was too thorough in some instances.) I do want to read more of Chiaverini's work, but I don't think I would read this again.

I had a hard time finishing the book, while the concept of the story was interesting the characters didn’t make me enjoy the story.

Augusta Ada Byron had a tumultuous childhood as her mother fled with Ada to the safety of her parents' home only weeks after her birth. Ada's father, the famous poet Lord Byron, was never to see his daughter again. Ada would grow up traveling from rented home to rented home with her mother, a woman of substantial means but a cold, critical, and fearful woman who was determined her only child would not replicate her father's immoral lifestyle. Ada proved to be a precocious child, interested in science, mathematics, and learning. Her mother was more interested in moral turpitude, social graces, and finding a suitable match for her daughter. Ada became friends with Charles Dickens, Mr. Babbage, the creator of the first "Analytical Machine", and Mrs. Mary Somerville, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. Ada lived predominantly under the shadow of her father's obscure legacy, never obtaining a clear understanding of who he really was as a poet or a person. Her mother ensured that Ada's childhood was a confined one, but Ada's love of learning eventually earned her the title of the world's "first computer programmer". 

This novel is clearly well researched, and yet it suffers on a few levels. First is that this story painstakingly details Ada's earliest years, where she is bundled from house to house with a endless parade of tutors, her absent and disapproving mother, and the rotating list of her mother's friends who treat Ada poorly. This goes on for over half the book which kills any momentum and tells us little about Ada's natural curiosity or outlook. Secondly, we see Ada defined primarily through her interactions with others (Babbage, Somerville, etc.). We don't really get a sense of what drives her. We're told she's curious and enthusiastic, but we see her personality appear mostly through those she interacts with and that keeps the reader apart from the main character. I would have preferred to see all of the details of her sad and lonely childhood dropped in favor of a deeper look at the thoughts, readings, and experiences that shaped Ada's interests in science and mathematic. A worthy subject to be sure, but not executed in a way that best highlights the woman and her intellectual gifts.

If you are currently watching PBS' "Victoria" Season 2, Episode 1", you saw Prince Albert interact with Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage at the Royal Society.

Clearly, two stories are at play in Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini. One is the story of the Byron's doomed marriage and its impact on the entire life of Ada Lovelace. The other is the story of Ada Lovelace, a pioneer as a female scientist and mathematician in a 1800s England. I begin the book expecting the second story, but the book is very clearly the first storyline told in a very unhurried, detailed approach.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/02/enchantress-of-numbers.html

Reviewed for NetGalley

I don't know much about Ada Lovelace, the woman who is sometimes credited as the first computer programmer, which is why I jumped at this chance to read this "work of fiction inspired by history." To put it another way, this is a biography of Ada Lovelace written in the first person, which means that parts of it must be fictionalised.

Ada Lovelace was the daughter of Lord Byron, the poet, and Anne Isabella Noel Byron, 11th Baroness Wentworth and Baroness Byron. She was doubly unlucky in her parents, because her father was abusive and openly cheated on his wife and her mother managed to be both emotionally distant and manipulative at the same time. To avoid Ada from becoming 'insane' like her mother believed her father was, she was taught mathematics from an early age.

The book starts with the meeting and marriage of Lord Byron and Lady Byron (the only chapter to be written in the third person) and ends soon after Ada publishes her work on Charle's Babbage's Analytical Engine. Her work was supposed to be a translation of a French paper, but she added notes to it that soon eclipsed the original.

I found this book to be absorbing and hard to put down, although it's hard to know what was true and what is not - for example, Ada's gambling addiction is only very briefly mentioned. Since it was written in the first person, I very strongly felt for Ada and her different trials. Despite her privileged rank and her intellect, she was continually made to oppress her 'Byron side' and made to feel guilty for simply having feelings.

The chapter titles are all inspired by verses from Lord Byron's poems, which I thought was interesting.

If you want a purely factual biography, this is probably not a good idea. The author admits that liberties have been taken, although she tried to adhere as closely to the historical record as possible, so it's up to you to decide if you're comfortable with that.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

An absolutely FANTASTIC historical novel!

My attention was captured by two things when I chose to read this book. The first
is the author. I have read some of her contemporary books and enjoyed them. The second was the phrase that Ada Lovelace was the world’s first computer programmer. I have loved computers for many years. Right out of high school I joined the Air Force and became a computer operator.

When the book began I had doubts as to whether I would like it or not. I’m not big on reading non-fiction and from the very beginning the style of writing clearly points to being written as an autobiography would be. Much to my surprise I was completely captivated by the story.

I found myself drawn in by Ada and the heartache she bore throughout her life. I kept hoping and praying that good things would come and she would find happiness. There were joys and happy instances sprinkled here and there which were like bright rays of sunshine.

I was fascinated to read about the friendships that she developed as an young woman. Their interactions were very compelling to read.

As with most stories of actual historical figures we see much of the sinful nature and dark sides of individuals.

I received a free eBook copy of this novel from the publisher and through NetGalley. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.