I’ve really enjoyed reading Marie Benedict’s stories about forgotten women in history—so I want to review a couple of books by her that I highly recommend.
The Personal Librarian
To expand on my mini review of my favorite book of 2021, the Personal Librarian is about the amazing Belle da Costa Greene, the “personal librarian” of J.P. Morgan. This book was thought-provoking and addresses issues of race and gender equality. It was enlightening to learn about how she passed as white and made it in a career that was at the time all white males. In fact, Belle surpassed what her job entailed, becoming one of the most powerful people in the art and literary world of her time. The Personal Librarian is a fast-paced and engaging read, and I was fascinated by how remarkable Belle da Costa Greene was and what she accomplished.
The Other Einstein
This story is about Albert Einstein’s first wife, Mileva Maric. A physicist in her own right. They met at Zurich University where they were both students. Their marriage is a marriage combining mind and heart—but is their room for two geniuses in a marriage? And what was her contribution to Albert’s work? We will never know Mileva’s true contribution because it was never recorded. What if she did help with the theory of relativity and didn’t get any credit? These are the questions explored as food for thought in this novel.
I am excited to read Marie Benedict’s newest novel, Her Hidden Genius. It’s the story of Rosalind Franklin, the woman who discovered the double helix nature of DNA, but whose world-changing contributions were hidden by the men around her. It’s sure to be a compelling read.
Other Books by Marie Benedict: