The Other Einstein: A Novel
To portray Einstein not as the scientific genius we have been led to know, but as a callous, manipulative human being is what Benedict brilliantly accomplishes. Could the highly intelligent Mileva Maric -- leading the bohemian life in 1890s Zurich -- pursue a nontraditional career in science and math and simultaneously maintain a traditional relationship with the young Albert Einstein? With historical flair, The Other Einstein presents a volatile life filled with moments of collaboration and sacrifice, humiliation and outrage, and a will to change forces to save one's own existence.
Description
"Superb...the haunting story of Einstein's brilliant first wife who was lost in his shadow."—Sue Monk Kidd, New York Times bestselling author of The Invention of Wings, The Secret Life of Bees, and The Mermaid Chair
"The Other Einstein takes you into Mileva's heart, mind, and study as she tries to forge a place for herself in a scientific world dominated by men."—Bustle
From the author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, in the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe, The Other Einstein offers us a window into a brilliant, fascinating woman whose light was lost in Einstein's enormous shadow. It is the story of Einstein's wife, a brilliant physicist in her own right, whose contribution to the special theory of relativity is hotly debated and may have been inspired by her own profound and very personal insight.
Mitza Maric has always been a little different from other girls. Most twenty-year-olds are wives by now, not studying physics at an elite Zurich university with only male students trying to outdo her clever calculations. But Mitza is smart enough to know that, for her, math is an easier path than marriage. And then fellow student Albert Einstein takes an interest in her, and the world turns sideways. Theirs becomes a partnership of the mind and of the heart, but there might not be room for more than one genius in a marriage.
Other Bestselling Historical Fiction from Marie Benedict:
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
Lady Clementine
The Only Woman in the Room
Carnegie's Maid
Praise for The Other Einstein: A Novel
"In The Other Einstein Marie Benedict brings us into the life and times of Mileva Mari? Einstein, Albert’s first wife. A brilliant mathematician in her own right, Mileva and Albert plan a life together of equal scholarship, but Albert’s ambitions and Mileva’s role as a wife and mother at the turn of the twentieth century make this an impossibility. Could the theory of relativity actually have been conceived by "the other Einstein"? In this fascinating and thoughtful novel, we learn that this is more than possible." — B.A. Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of The Art Forger and The Muralist
"Beautifully written…a finely drawn portrait of a woman in love with the wrong man." — Jillian Cantor, author of Margot and The Hours Count
"A crusading scientist undone by love....revealing, enlightening." — Nuala O’Connor, author of Miss Emily
"In her compelling novel… Benedict makes a strong case that the brilliant woman behind [Albert Einstein] was integral to his success, and creates a rich historical portrait in the process." — Publishers Weekly
"Benedict's debut novel carefully traces Mileva's life—from studious schoolgirl to bereaved mother—with attention paid to the conflicts between personal goals and social conventions. An intriguing… reimagining of one of the strongest intellectual partnerships of the 19th century." — Kirkus Reviews
"Many will enjoy Benedict’s feminist views and be fascinated by the life of an almost unknown woman." — RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
"...INTIMATE and IMMERSIVE historical novel....Prepare to be moved by this provocative history of a woman whose experiences will resonate with today’s readers." — Library Journal, Editors' Fall Picks
"The Other Einstein takes you into Mileva’s heart, mind, and study as she tries to forge a place for herself in a scientific world dominated by men. " — Bustle
"…an ENGAGING and THOUGHT PROVOKING fictional telling of the poignant story of an overshadowed woman scientist." — Booklist
"Superb…the haunting story of Einstein’s brilliant first wife who was lost in his shadow." — Sue Monk Kidd, NYT bestselling author of The Invention of Wings, The Secret Life of Bees, and The Mermaid Chair