Her Hidden Genius: A Novel
"Brings to life Franklin's grit and spirit...an important contribution to the historical record." --The Washington Post
The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie!
She changed the world with her discovery. Three men took the credit.
Rosalind Franklin has always been an outsider--brilliant, but different. Whether working at the laboratory she adored in Paris or toiling at a university in London, she feels closest to the science, those unchanging laws of physics and chemistry that guide her experiments. When she is assigned to work on DNA, she believes she can unearth its secrets.
Rosalind knows if she just takes one more X-ray picture--one more after thousands--she can unlock the building blocks of life. Never again will she have to listen to her colleagues complain about her, especially Maurice Wilkins who'd rather conspire about genetics with James Watson and Francis Crick than work alongside her.
Then it finally happens--the double helix structure of DNA reveals itself to her with perfect clarity. But what unfolds next, Rosalind could have never predicted.
Marie Benedict's powerful new novel shines a light on a woman who sacrificed her life to discover the nature of our very DNA, a woman whose world-changing contributions were hidden by the men around her but whose relentless drive advanced our understanding of humankind.
Also By Marie Benedict:
The Other Einstein
Carnegie's Maid
The Only Woman in the Room
Lady Clementine
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
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Community Reviews
♡ Historical women in STEM
A few years ago, I read The Other Einstein and fell in love with the way Marie Benedict writes and provides stories about incredible women. Marie Benedict has a gift for being able to tell stories that brings wonderful women to life. I have since read most of her book and collected them.
Her Hidden Genius is a story about Rosalind Franklin and the work she had done involving DNA. Franklin was an amazing researcher with contributions to the scientific field that was dedicated to proving her theories involving the building blocks of living organisms. Since this does involve the life of her passion, it does involve a great number of scientific terminologies. The relationships that Franklin had with her associates, the climatic effect of her discoveries, and the tension between the other researchers illustrated the many challenges she faced as a woman in a man's world.
I would suggest to those interested in reading this book to go in without many expectations of it being a historical fiction novel, but rather more scientific-heavy. It is a story about a woman who perseverates on all obstacles thrown at her and the compelling discoveries she made. It is more character-driven than a narrative-driven one. Rosalind Franklin made significant contributions to the scientific world but did not get the credit she deserved.
Though I preferred Benedict's other novels, I am pleased to have been able to read this book as I discovered about Rosalind Franklin. I greatly admired her tenacity and recommend this book to anyone who are likes historical fiction with strong women and untold truths.
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