Librería Samer Atenea
Kálamo Books
Librería Elías (Asturias)
Librería Kolima (Madrid)
Librería Proteo (Málaga)
is a his torical account compiled in the late 19th century that chronicles the extraordinary life of the prominent astronomer Maria Mitchell. This work provides a detailed examination of her family background, education, early experiences in astronomy, and insights into her contributions to science, reflecting the values and challenges faced by women of her era. The text captures not only her scientific achievements but also her personal life and relationships, presenting a multifaceted portrait of a pioneering figure in a male-dominatedfield. TheopeningofthebookintroducesMariaMitchell’s upbringing on Nantucket Island, emphasizing her Quaker heritage and the stronginfluenceofherparentsonhereducationandcharacterdevelopment. It details her early interests, particularly in astronomy, nurtured by her fa ther through practical experiences with telescopes and celestial observations. This rich familial environment fostered her intellect and creativity, setting the foundation for her later renowned discoveries, including a telescopic comet. The narrative paints a picture of a young Maria who found delight in both academic pursuits and domestic life, highlighting her zeal for learn ing and communal engagement even as she navigated societal expectations placed on women of hertime. Herancestors,onbothsides,wereQuakersformanygenerations;anditwas in consequence of the intolerance of the early Puritans that these ancestors had been obliged to flee from the State of Massachusetts, and to settle upon this island, which, at that time, belonged to the State of New York. For many years the Quakers, or Friends, as they called themselves, formed muchthe largerpartoftheinhabitantsofNantucket,andthuswereenabled to crystallize, as it were, their own ideas of what family and social life should be; and although in course of time many 'world’s people' swooped down and helped to swell the number of islanders, they still continued to hold their own methods, and to bring up their children in accordance with their own conceptions of 'Divine light.
