In November 1896, an English doctor published Congenital Word Blindness, the first description of a learning disorder that would come to be known as dyslexia. Until that time and beyond, many children and adults were cruelly labeled “slow to learn” and much worse.
In today’s more enlightened world, many theories abound as to the cause and treatment of dyslexia. While researching the many different techniques employed to teach individuals with dyslexia, I read about an unusual method that used clay and large solid forms of letters to help certain dyslexics learn to read. This technique was the inspiration for several scenes in A Passionate Endeavor. However, I must add that I have no firsthand knowledge of the pro-gram’s actual success. If you would like to read The Sunday Times (London) article that provided the inspiration, please go to: http://www.times-archive.co.uk/news/pages/tim/ 2000/03/21/timfeabam03003.html. There are also many more library books and sites on the interne with helpful information.
One final note: There is a scene in this book during which the hero suggests a knowledge of the female reproductive cycle. In fact, during the Regency period, it was mistakenly believed that conception could only occur at the beginning of the cycle, very much like other mammals. It is no wonder some women, in the past, had ten or more children! It was not until the early twentieth century that this concept was proven incorrect, thereby introducing a more successful rhythm method.