Blind Astronomer's Daughter (Pipkin) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
The novel's far-flung peregrinations give it a certain shapelessness, but its power lies in its vibrant and arresting imagery, resonant themes and sense of intellectual ferment. In his extraordinary ability to convey his characters' emotions as they take in the universe's immensity, Pipkin captures our own awe and sense of puniness as we look at the skies and the "implacable cartwheeling of worlds slow and indifferent.
Katherine A. Powers - New York Times Book Review


The Blind Astronomer’s Daughter is a tour de force of characterization and historical narrative . . . No matter how small, the characters and the time come alive in narrative that is rich, intense and meticulously rendered that it often comes across as lyrical or philosophical"
Historical Novel Review


[E]xquisitely crafted...a sensitive recounting of Ireland's travails..., a riveting description of the passion of discovery in the late 18th century, and a brilliant examination of such age-old themes as the longing for permanence and belonging. —Cynthia Johnson, formerly with Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA
Library Journal


[P]anoramic... [T]he second half, dominated by the bloody Irish uprising of 1798, never really gels with the first. Still, a fascinating look at the particular manias and obsessions of those who study the stars amid turmoil on Earth.
Kirkus Reviews