The Other Einstein-- Blog Tour and Giveaway

I received my copy of The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict from Net Galley some time ago while I was still working on my master's degree.  Then I had to catch up on review commitments I'd made to authors and publishers.  While in the midst of this process, I was invited to join The Other Einstein blog tour and tour wide giveaway.  So now I'm wading into the really interesting controversy surrounding Einstein's first wife with this honest review.


                             

Mileva Marić wanted to be a physicist when she was young. She was admitted to Zurich Polytechnic to study physics and mathematics with two strikes against her.  The first was being a woman in a very male world.  The second was being from Serbia which was considered a cultural backwater in Western Europe.   I am citing facts at this point. There is a Wikipedia article dealing with Mileva .   If you want to see how much about that article is in dispute look at the Talk section.  There has been an editing war over this article.   Both sides are absolutely certain about things that can't be known with absolute certainty.

This is what is not in dispute.  Mileva met Einstein at Zurich Polytechnic where they were both students.  They fell in love and she became pregnant.  She had to drop out of school without finishing her degree, and they married.   This is a sad story, and it has happened to a great many women.  She never realized her dreams.

Historical fiction deals with what isn't part of the historical record.   How did Einstein treat his wife when they weren't in public?   Did Mileva contribute to Einstein's scientific work?   These are questions that are open to speculation.   No one can really claim to know the truth about them.  Marie Benedict has as much right to an opinion as anyone else.   She did the research and came to a conclusion that isn't at all palatable for supporters of Albert Einstein.  Some sources say that he was verbally abusive toward Mileva in public, and that he called her ugly.  Below is a public domain photo of Mileva that I found on Wikipedia.  You be the judge.

                                  

  It's said that Einstein burned out early because he never did any great work after he developed the theory of relativity and published it in 1905.   Could his estrangement from Mileva be the reason why he no longer produced any other brilliant new theory?  I don't know, but I'm willing to entertain the possibility.

Benedict's version of Mileva isn't a feminist icon.   She made choices that I wouldn't have made in her circumstances.   In fact, Marie Curie appears briefly in this novel.   This great woman scientist tells Mileva that the only differences between them are the choices they made and the men they married.   Madame Curie's husband dedicated his life to supporting her career.   Benedict portrays Einstein as having deliberately undermined Mileva.  I wanted  her Mileva to be stronger.

A number of reviewers believe that  Benedict's Mileva was a product of her historical environment and the dominant culture.   The truth is that the 21st century isn't that much kinder to women.   Any woman who becomes involved in a relationship with a man in the same field may still face the same problems.   She may be ignored and her work may go uncredited. Then like Benedict's Mileva, she may be shoved out of her field while her significant other or husband is lionized.  This is why this book has significance even if the real Mileva wasn't a scientific genius.   It could be a wake up call to young woman readers who may be on the verge of making a terrible mistake that could destroy their future careers.

For me, the value of The Other Einstein is learning of Mileva Marić's existence.  Whatever the truth might be about her, she deserves to be known rather than buried in obscurity.   Now anyone who has read this book can examine what is known about her, and make their own decisions about what they believe concerning the issues that Benedict has raised.

                            THE OTHER EINSTEIN TOUR WIDE
                                                GIVEAWAY 

This a Rafflecopter giveaway available to all blogs participating in the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, readers.

Silver Wings for Vicki: Nancy Drew Hits the Skies

I was recently browsing in an antique store...my favorite pastime, yes, even more than reading, and I came across this old hardback book. And when I say old, I mean the copyright is 1947.

My curiosity was immediate and strong. I knew it had something to do with aviation by the little picture on the front. (My copy is just the hardback with the little woman's face.) I thought it was a pilot, but there was no blurb. I just took a chance.

It turns out it's the first in a series about a flight attendant in a time when aviation was really becoming a passenger thing. When planes were all aluminum and rivets and shown like sterling silver, when the DC3 was considered top of the line. And while this young lady, Vickie Barr, plays air hostess, she solves mysteries.

Now, the last set of old books I bought with a 1940s copyright, about a woman pilot, were ridiculous and unbelievable. But I liked this. It was just a fun, utterly charming, enjoyable read. The heroine could be called one of those Mary Sues or whatever they are, but yet..not quite. Despite her perfect family life and the way things fall into place for her, she has drive, works for what she has, appreciates many, and is very humble. Heart-in-the-right-place and doing-it-for-the-right reasons kind of humble.

She also learns quite a bit about flying, through the pilots, lectures, school.

If you were fond of Nancy Drew and ever desired to be a flight attendant, give this series a go. In this, the first installment, Vickie applies for the job (This was very interesting to me!! You'd not get away with these hiring practices or requirements now! LOL) and then goes to school. Once through school, she discovers a mysteries smuggling operation is using her flight for transportation...

There's also mild, fun romance and delightful bits of humor. I understand the first four books in the series were by Helen Wells, who also penned a nursing series. The author herself is fascinating. According to her bio on Goodreads, she was a social worker turned full-time young adult writer... In 1934 Wells graduated from New York University [where she'd been the first female editor of the literary quarterly], with a major in philosophy and a minor in sociology and psychology.

Best piece of fiction ever? No. A door stop? No. But it is the first book that has managed to hold my attention from beginning to end in quite a while and I thought it warranted sharing, this old gem.