Creation : Darwin, his daughter & human evolution

This was confusingly titled "Creation" in 2010 (movie tie-in! which is so weird, as I can hardly think of a book less appropriate for making into a movie), and "Annie's Box: Charles Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution" in 2001 when it was first published in the UK.

Anyway, it's a biography by Charles' great-great grandson that emphasizes the Darwins' family life. It is sometimes a bit slow going, with lots of side trips, including some into Unitarian vs. mainstream Anglican theology, Wordsworth's ideas about nature, the evolution of barnacles, and the discovery of germs and infectious diseases.

The parts about Charles & Emma (his wife) and their family of ten kids were quite good, though, and it sounds like Charles was a wonderful father. Sadly, one of their daughters, Annie, died at age 10 (probably of TB). The box in the English title is her letterbox, which Keynes discovered amongst some family documents. Although the Darwins were quite reserved when remembering Annie, it is clear her loss affected them all a great deal. Keynes looks particularly at how Annie's death changed Charles' views on religion, human nature, and evolution.