Hidden Figures

 Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly 368 pages

 

I cannot remember the last time I said a movie was better than the book. I am saying it now about Hidden Figures though. So much better. My book club selected this title, but after three evenings and only getting to page 25, I knew this one wasn’t for me. And because I didn’t want to go to book club without some knowledge of the book, I listened to the Audio CD. It was easier to listen to than to read, but I still found it BORING!

 

My biggest complaint is that the book didn’t focus on the women. Its focus was the history of race relations in the aerodynamics industry from World War II through the Space Shuttle Program. It was interesting, but I wanted to know more about the women the book highlighted (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Johnson). And while their stories are woven into the text, they aren’t centerstage. And that is a shame. The stories of these courageous and intelligent women had been buried for so long, it was a miracle that their accomplishments became known before they passed away.

 

However, the movie took those random bits of real life and turned them into a fascinating and enlightening movie.

 

In the book, there wasn’t a reason to turn the page; nothing compelling was written---except for the small sections on the women. The movie got off to a slow start, for me, but soon picked up to warp speed, keeping me on the edge of my seat.

 

It’s obvious that a lot of research went into this story. It is well done though. Therefore, for the book, I give it 2 stars and for the audio gets 3 stars. However, the movie receives ten out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Other Einstein

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict.  304 pages.  due out October - title is on order

So you think you know Albert Einstein (maybe), but do you know anything about his first wife?  You may have never heard of Mileva Maric, but she was a physicist in her own right, and a tremendous influence on Einstein.  In fact, it may be that Mileva worked with Einstein on three fundamental papers that were published in 1905 (published under his name only) that eventually led to Albert Einstein receiving the Nobel Prize in 1921.

In 1896, Mileva was the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zurich.  While there, she met Albert, and while she did finish the physics program there, she started a relationship with Einstein which resulted in a child out of wedlock.  They did eventually marry, but Mileva put her own career to the side to support Albert.

In this book, Benedict, who has done research on Mileva Maric, explores the story of this woman who was a brilliant physicist in her own right, and whose gifts fell into the shadows once she married Albert Einstein. The author says, in afterword, that some readers "may be curious as to how precisely how much of the book is truth and how much is speculation.  Whenever possible, in the overarching arc of the story - the dates, the places, the people - I attempted to stay as close to the facts as possible, taking necessary liberties for fictional purposes."  She invites readers to learn more about Maric, and look at the collection of papers and letters about Albert and Mileva here (Princeton site).

I found the book an enjoyable read, although a frustrating one; what happened to Mileva Maric, unfortunately, is not unusual.  It was not uncommon for women to put the desires of their husbands for a "dutiful wife" above any of their own ambition, and it also was not uncommon for the few women who dared to study at such a level to be harassed by their male instructors and fellow students.  I don't know much about Albert Einstein on a personal level, but this book certainly points out some very unlikable characteristics.   I felt the author did a nice job with this historical fiction, bringing Mileva to life, and also giving context and perspective to now only Mileva's life and the decisions that she made, but also to understanding her decisions in her relationship with Einstein.. The actual final conflict between Mileva and Albert comes somewhat late in the story, which was a little frustrating; I would have enjoyed it if the author had brought this into the story a bit earlier and then given a bit of Mileva's story post-Einstein.  However, overall, this was an interesting book, and has made me want to learn more about Mileva Maric.

I did find more sites about Mileva Maric, including this one from the Tesla Memorial Society of New York.

The Tropic of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent

The Tropic of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
331 Pages

"Attentive readers of Lady Trent's earlier memoir, A Natural History of Dragons, are already familiar with how a bookish and determined young woman named Isabella first set out on the historic course that would one day lead her to becoming the world's premier dragon naturalist. Now, in this remarkably candid second volume, Lady Trent looks back at the next stage of her illustrious (and occasionally scandalous) career. Three years after her fateful journeys through the forbidding mountains of Vystrana, Mrs. Camherst defies family and convention to embark on an expedition to the war-torn continent of Eriga, home of such exotic draconian species as the grass-dwelling snakes of the savannah, arboreal tree snakes, and, most elusive of all, the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics. The expedition is not an easy one. Accompanied by both an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave oppressive heat, merciless fevers, palace intrigues, gossip, and other hazards in order to satisfy her boundless fascination with all things draconian, even if it means venturing deep into the forbidden jungle known as the Green Hell . . . where her courage, resourcefulness, and scientific curiosity will be tested as never before."

The second book of this series is still entertaining.  I would give it 3 stars.                                                                                     

A Natural History of Dragons

A Natural History of Dragons, a memoir by Lady Trent By Marie Brennan
334 Pages

 The first of a fantasy series by Brennan, this novel purports to be a recounting of Lady Isabella Trent's first foray into investigating dragons.  We learn of her early fascination with dragons and how, once married, she convinces her husband to include her on a foray into the wild to study the wild dragons of Vystrana.  As the study progresses it turns out that something is making the dragons attack humans and Trent's party must find out why.

An enjoyable read, the novel includes "sketches from the memoir" which gives it an added dimension.  Think of this world as a victorian age with dragons.