The Essex Serpent Summary
Sarah Perry

The Essex Serpent Overview

Sarah Perry’s historical fiction novel, The Essex Serpent follows a lively widow and her son from the streets of industrialized London to the coastal village of Essex where Cora hears a legend that a creature has risen from the marshes 300 years later and is now on the hunt for human life. As a lover of science and reason, she is both intrigued and skeptical of the local’s belief and sets out to find the truth of so called “Essex monster.” In Essex, she meets Will Ransome, a married vicar who has no patience for superstition or ignorance and there is an instant connection between the two. As they grow closer, the clash between science and religion, facts and faith becomes glaringly apparent. Blending together history, science, religion and love, Perry’s novel emerges as a pioneering tale for women in science to always pursue their passions.