I loved this perspective, focusing less on the main players in what is commonly known as the Scopes Monkey Trial”. If you’re not familiar, there was a Pulitzer Prize Winner, Summer for the Gods, about it that you should check out. The founding of Bryan University at the end is an origin story that is going to bug me for the rest of my life.

The Evolution of Annabel Craig

Annabel is delightfully married to a handsome, smart, polished attorney who promises her a life beyond her religious, conservative upbringing.

They are still in the blissful newlywed phase of their marriage when they are thrust into the tumultuous Scopes Monkey Trial that turns their East Tennessee town into a hullaballoo. The trial makes national news pitting the theories of Evolution and Creation against each other. Amid the media frenzy in their small town, Annabel sees her neighbors at odds with each other. Annabel starts to question her long held beliefs and she watches her brilliant husband’s perfect sheen become dull as his principles are tested.

Lisa Grunwald delighted me with the book Time After Time. This story also has a character who is fearless, even though you didn’t see it in the beginning, we truly see the evolution of Annabel Craig. The title is perfect, and the epigraph quotes another amazing book “A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her-the light which, showing the way, forbids it.” - Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 1899.

This is the first time I heard of the Scopes Monkey Trial. Its an interesting part of our country’s history that proves there has always been conflict in the world of education between science and personal beliefs.

Thank you @netgalley @lisagrunwald @randomhouse
#theevolutionofannabelcraig #netgalley #lisagrunwald #randomhouse

I really enjoyed this historical fiction focusing on the Scopes Monkey Trial and the growth of our lead character Annabel Craig as she comes to new understandings of her own capabilities. I knew a bit about the Scopes Trial and found that story interesting and I enjoyed the character arc of Annabel. All in all a very good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Evolution of Annabel Craig is available now.

This was an interesting historical fiction title, a little different from what I often read in the genre. I really liked how it highlighted a singular event - the trial about evolution - and I definitely learned more about that than I ever knew before! I do think the main thrust of this book was about Annabel's growth, which we definitely follow closely. I think the parallel between her growth and the trial around evolution was a creative choice to provide continuity between the character arc and the historical event. Something about the pacing kept me from giving this 5 stars, but it's a solidly good read.

I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't know anything about the 1925 Scopes trial. A book that makes me research the actual events written about in historical fiction, well - they have done their job well. I both enjoyed this book and learned while doing so. I recommend!

This story is a head-on collision of cultures, the healing of which will leave Mr. and Mrs. Craig forever changed.

Mrs. Craig, who is the Annabel of the book title was raised Christian with a capital "C." Scriptures are present in these pages, pulled from the life and memories of Annabel. Arming her for life with religion's protective gear of safety harness, vest, shield and slingshot through the everyday teachings of purposeful worship, her family set her feet firmly on the Path. She was afforded this by the upraising she had at the loving and earnest hands of her parents, as well as their supportive and wary community.

Mr. Craig, George, to his friends was an anxious ambitious attorney who has a Plan A so big that a Plan B is superfluous. He's also a Ham Radio operator. (This odd fact stuck to the tumbleweeds of interest in my head as my father was a world champion amateur radio ham - I was raised in the dot.dot.dash of morse code.) George Craig's worldview is wide-ranging, and open- handed. He's not tied to deity nor accountability to the unseen. He's very interested in battle and all of its strategies.

Lisa Grunwald's story leans in on their marriage - and the cracks that happen in the heat of community turmoil when in their town of Dayton, Tennessee, teacher John Scopes begins introducing Darwin's theory of evolution to the school children of Dayton, many of whom are parented by Christian congregants of the Earth-in-7-Days doctrine. Legal efforts are engaged, a lawsuit is brought and soon celebrity lawyers (Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan) join the battle from both sides of the fight. What Mr. and Mrs. Craig didn't expect is that they would find themselves on opposite sides.

That's as far as I take you, Reader, as the story is a good one, and worth your time. It is particularly well-researched and the backs-and-forths of the trial are an education in an of themselves, that is not much scrutinized these days. Out of this read the heat of the conflict was felt and helped this reader, with the benefit of time and hindsight, to realize the consequential outcomes of that particular struggle in ways participants in the moment may have only begun to consider. One of those long wonders that has now stretched out over a century.

*A sincere thank you to Lisa Grunwald, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

What I loved about this book!

1. Historical fiction which taught me something new - and I loved the learning journey!! Sent me to search for more information which is always a good indicator.
2. Annabel was a great character - her "evolution" was believable, her feelings and actions were warranted, and I found myself cheering her on! 
3. Character development of all in the book was well done - the author brought the emotion of the times and the feelings of the town to life!

What I wished was different:
1. Felt a little incomplete - maybe a sequel is coming???

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Net galley for the ARC.

As a fan of historical fiction, I really enjoyed this book, my first - but certainly not my last - by this author! The characters felt very real, which I enjoyed and the historical setting well crafted. Recommended!

A native of Dayton, Tennessee, Annabel is working as a housekeeper at a hotel when she meets and marries George Craig. He is a lawyer come to town to start his career, but the honeymoon ends when a client George got acquitted commits a horrific act of violence. Why? George’s career get a boost when he joins Clarence Darrow’s team. Clarence Darrow’s team is defending the teaching of evolution in public schools. Annabell tries to merge her traditional beliefs with the positions of Darrow. Her husband, belittles her for being provincial and uneducated. As an avid amateur photographer, she’s thrilled when Lottie Nelson, a "lady reporter" she and George are putting up at their house, hires her to take pictures for the Chattanooga News. The story that Lottie Nelson files is destructive for George as she tells of ‘s negative views of the trial judge.Although Grunwald’s research is admirable, she can disrupt her own narrative with anticipatory statements. For example, when Lottie files a story disclosing what George’s negative views are about the trial judge. Two pages later, we learn just how damaging the story is. Annabel.can be simplistic, but she does offers some important insights. Women made the small decisions and men made the big ones.

In this historical fiction, the author writes “how the small decisions often had the biggest consequence such as how a family handled hardship, or how far a dollar could be stretched, or what a child was taught to believe. However the big decisions make more noise.” The author Provides a sense of how it felt to live in Dayton at the time of the Scopes trial.

This book is a fictional retelling of the very real and famous Scopes Monkey Trail that took place in 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee. The story is told form the viewpoint of a young woman, Annabel Craig. This book shows similarities to what’s happening in the United States today, nearly 100 years later, where we’re seeing a nation split between those who believe that religion explains all and those who believe that science explains everything. It also touches on how the media covers events.

Annabel is a happy new wife to her husband George, an up and coming young lawyer. All is wonderful until something terrible happens after he wins one case. The result is that George sinks into a deep depression. It’s only when the Scopes case come to life that he finds a way out of his darkness. It isn’t long before he joins the defense team of John Scopes, a coach and science teacher.

The book brings to life the trial and the famous attorneys at its forefront: Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan. The two, both showmen, handle the case in very different ways. Bryan is all bluster and preaching; Darrow is calmer and more restrained. Still, each presents their side of the case in forceful ways that hold the townsfolk and media transfixed.

The book deals with everything beautifully, from its small-town atmosphere to Annabel’s blossoming move into feminism. It deftly handles difficult subjects: poverty, religious zealots, miscarriage, murder, suicide, depression, guilt, and troubled marriage.

I knew a fair amount about this trial coming into this book, but reading it added depth and more understanding to the tale. It brought much nuance and a rich sense of community that made the story itself real. I really enjoyed this book, especially the main character. Watching her grow, deal with the challenges put before her, and seeing her become more secure in what she wanted in her life, added to my enjoyment..

I highly recommend this book.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

The Scopes Trial was a milestone in American history. It was an event that divided neighbors on the issue of whether the theory of human evolution should be taught in public schools. It took place in Dayton, Tennessee, the home of Annabel Hayes. She fell in love with George Craig, a lawyer from Knoxville. Within a year of their marriage, she discovered that he was not the man she thought he was. When John Scopes was arrested George joined Clarence Darrow’s defense team, putting more pressure on their marriage. As events unfold Annabel begins to question things that she had always believed, realizing that things were not always black and white. Along the way she also became more independent. The story is told by an older Annabel who is able to reflect on her own evolution. At a time when our country is once again divided when it comes to what is taught in our schools Lisa Grunwald’s story is relevant to today’s atmosphere. This was well written and Annabel is a character that will stay with you long after her story is over. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing this book.

I very much enjoyed “Time after Time” by this author, so I looked forward to reading this new book by her. It was not quite what I was expecting, with so many “heavy” topics. This may turn out to be a good book for book club discussions with all the topics covered, but it just wasn’t for me.

4.5 stars
Annabel has lived in Dayton, TN, all her life and is now married to one of the supporting attorneys to Clarence Darrow's Scopes Monkey Trial, or where they put the teaching of evolution on trial. The teacher Scopes couldn't even remember if he'd covered evolution in any of his days as a substitute teacher but went along with being the subject of the trial just to get a verdict in the history books.

I'd forgotten what this book was about but I found it extremely informative and entertaining. Separately, it reminded me that Clarence Darrow's first law office when out of school was in my small Illinois hometown, which you can see mentioned on Darrow's Wikipedia page but not on anything you'll ever see about my hometown. It's their guilty secret, I believe, being in a conservative part of Illinois.

Throughout Annabel's marriage and the trial proceedings, she evolves from a typical housewife to a free-thinking, strong woman. I'm surprised this hasn't been more widely read, and I highly recommend it if you enjoy women's issues or historical fiction. This was brought to my attention when gifted to me by Penguin Random House through NetGalley, and the audiobook I borrowed through Libby was very excellent.

"I had never questioned a miracle, witnessed a gunfight, or seen a dead body. . . . I had thought I knew exactly what I wanted and what I didn’t. Before the summer was over, all that and much more would change." (The Evolution of Annabel Craig)

I thought I had read the blurb and synopsis thoroughly but apparently my mind was somewhere else. Expecting something far more lighthearted I was at first confused then totally engrossed by Grunwald’s writing on this historic conflict.

As a devout church goer, believing in biblical principles, watching Annabel Craig pose so many questions to herself, her beliefs and teachings was nothing short of inspirational. Blessed are those who are able to watch, listen, question and reason with everything they have been taught without previous challenge. Having seen the movie numerous times as well as the Broadway Play, knowing that much of both of these productions were theater, it is easy to overlook the effect this conflict had on the ordinary man. Do you relinquish your belief in the Creator because men of science offer another theory? How do you reconcile such different notions? Listening to Annabel Craig question the science vis-a-vis her beliefs and similarly her relationship with her husband was akin to watching a peony unfurl its petals.

Well written and thoughtfully told, this story was worth every minute I spent reading and contemplating. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for a copy

Lisa Grunwald has written this fictional story with facts of the Scopes Trial (the trial in 1925 to forbid the teaching of evolution in the public schools in Tennessee) as seen by a young newly married lady. Dayton, Tennessee, will see a trial that takes place in that town because some businessmen want to publicize their little town. Annabel was an amateur photographer and by virtue of volunteering to be the photographer for the trial she will be an eyewitness. Little did she realize that her life would drastically change as she began questioning all aspects of her life in Dayton. A informative book as well as an opportunity for one to question for oneself. Totally absorbing and delightful read. Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse for an advance read copy of this book; this is my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this e- copy of The Evolution of Annabel Craig by Lisa Grunwald in exchange for a honest review. This is a well researched book about a young woman named Annabel Craig who is married to a lawyer named George. They live a peaceful existence in Dayton , Tennessee until the Scopes Monkey Trial comes to town in 1925. George joins the defense team of Clarence Darrow and everything that Annabel holds dear is upended- she suffers a miscarriage, and she realizes that the man she married isn’t the person he appeared to be . It is set in a time where women’s’ opinions weren’t valued and through her hardships Annabel transforms herself into an independent, self-supporting , strong woman .

I was not sure what to expect with this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I did not know a lot about the Scopes trial in the 1920's, but the author did a great job of balancing both sides of the story. The balance between science and religion is managed well in this book. I enjoyed the characters as well. They had a good story along with the story of the trial. This could be set today and hold the same importance as it did then. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advanced copy.

I don’t even remember what drew me to request this book at first, but by the time I started reading it, I had no idea what the story was about. I went in completely blind.Once I realized it was a historical fiction novel based in rural Tennessee, I was intrigued. Then, when I learned it was about the infamous 1925 Scopes Trial, I needed to know more — what was the Scopes Trial about exactly?! *I couldn’t remember.* Finally, I realized the story was based on the true legal battle regarding teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in the public schools system. By then … I. WAS. HOOKED!

I paired reading the physical copy with listening to the audiobook, and I jotted down so many notes while I was listening. Here are a few of the moments that intrigued me or caught my attention.

**SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD**

- I found it interesting that women joined “canning clubs” as a way to gain independence and earn the ability to do things on their own — away from their husbands oversight. I loved their motto too: “See how we CAN.”
- I didn’t remember the extreme magnitude of The Spanish Flu; it killed some 50 million people!
- The main character, Annabel, grew up on a strawberry farm until 16 years go age when her parents died. I’ve never read a book that featured the kind of farm that feels THAT wholesome.
- I don’t remember where this quote is located in the book, but I do remember dying laughing — “I thought I looked like a russet potato!” — Oh, is that relatable or what?!
- Annabel likes the “care-taking trope” more than I do. She hears, “I’ve got you!” one time, and then she’s married 3 months later!!
- I love serendipitous moments — such as a 4th of July reference in the story as I was reading it on the 4th of July.
- There were a lot of characters and until you learned them all, it was hard to remember IF or WHY they were important. I loved how the author wrote into the story ways to gently remind the reader which characters were tied to which occurrences. It was so helpful to me!

If any of the above notes appeal to you, I think you will also enjoy this book.

Tennessee’s 1925 Butler Act made it illegal to teach “any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”

Annibel Craig is a young newlywed in Butler, TN, where this controversial law prohibiting teaching evolution was - quite intentionally - first challenged. What ensued was the famous Scopes Trial which (per Wikipedia) “included a raucous confrontation between prosecution attorney and fundamentalist religious leader, William Jennings Bryan, and noted defense attorney and religious agnostic, Clarence Darrow.”

Through clear and clever writing, the author brings us inside the perspective of a local bystander - not really an ideologue on either side of the debate. (And at a time when women were hardly thought to have any kind of policy or political mind whatsoever. “Women had won the vote in 1920 three years before, but we wouldn’t be allowed on juries till decades later.”) I thought it was fascinating.

“…gradually, I realized it didn’t matter what each man believed about creation or evolution or what should be taught and where: They all agreed emphatically that testing the law in Dayton would be sure to bring in business—maybe even revive the blast furnace that had once helped the town thrive.”

“… if you’d asked me about evolution then, all I would have told you is that folks who believed in it thought men had come from monkeys, and so we should pray for those folks. I’d have told you I’d heard that evolution was a conspiracy hatched by godless Yankee highbrows to turn good Christians away from the Bible and therefore destine us to spend eternity in hell.”

“…And if you didn’t hold to the Bible on Creation, what else might you not believe? I had never thought to ask. There had been no need to. The sky was blue, the hills were purple, the summers were long, and the Bible was true.”

The development of the trial was told very well from Annabel’s perspective, threading through the public dialogue her private reflections as everything she’s been taught is challenged.

“What is the purpose of this examination?” “The purpose,” Bryan declared, turning his whole body to face the crowd, “is to cast ridicule on everybody who believes in the Bible.” “We have the purpose,” Darrow responded with equal passion, “of preventing bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the education of the United States, and you know it, and that is all.”

“I thought of the different strains of strawberries my father had planted, and the seed catalogues he’d pored over, looking for new blends of grass. No one seemed to have a problem believing that other things in nature had altered over time. Only man was supposed to have been perfect from the start.”

This story was beautifully told, has all of the elements of great historical fiction: well researched, clearly presents the facts known about the story and cultural context while bringing the reader inside what people likely thought and might have felt at the time. And does it through round, evolving characters with their own believable voices and relatable challenges. 4.5 stars rounded up :)

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Evolution of Annabel Craig by Lisa Grunwald" was nothing like I was expecting it to be; it was better. Set in the heart of the bible-belt in 1920s Tennessee, Annabel Craig, nee Hayes, embarks on a journey of her own evolution, while her husband, George supports the defense team in the Scopes trail.

For a Historical Fiction, the novel does a fascinating job showcasing the character development for our small-town residents. Annabel starts off as the supportive housewife, slightly ashamed her husband was assigned to the defense in fear of what her neighbors may think. However, she soon meets Lottie Nelson, a reporter from Chattanooga, who shows her women can be more than just homemakers - and recruits Annabel use her camera to take photos of the trail.

Grunwald delivery and writing allowed the divisive topic to easily digested. Threw Annabel's eyes what little memory I had left regarding the Scopes trail from AP US History, was quickly jog awake; as I was reminded of one of the first true tests in America regarding the separation of church and state.