| Summary: | This book is an autobiographical account of the childhood of Edmund Gosse, and a biographical account of his father, Philip Henry Gosse, who had come to Newfoundland to work as a clerk, and then became so fascinated with entomology during his time on the island he taught himself how to properly study insects. A key literary and intellectual figure in 19th century England, as a child Edmund was not permitted to read literature, as it was looked upon as sinful by his devoutly religious parents. His gradual exposure to poetry and other forms of literature resulted in his eventual loss of faith, which proved devastating to Edmund's father, Philip, an active member of the Plymouth Brethren. Philip's devotion to religion propelled him to publish a book countering Darwin's Theory of Evolution with his own theory that attempted to integrate evolution and creationism. The failure of this book caused Philip to focus increasingly on his faith, which was the catalyst for the rift between the two men.
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