In the late 1800s
well brought up young women were expected to be wives and mothers,
not scientists or mathematicians. Mileva (Mitza) Mari was a brilliant
child. Teased by her classmates she gained strength from her father,
who encouraged her desire to be a physicist. She gained a place at
the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich where she studied physics and m
athematics, the only woman in her classes.
In Zurich, she
boarded in a house with several other young women, who aspired to be
scientists or teachers. For the first time, she had friends and
enjoyed life. An impulsive, young man, Albert Einstein, barged into
this existence. At first Mitza avoided him, but he drew her into a
circle of scientists that she enjoyed, wooed her, and eventually,
over her parents objections, they wed. But that’s not the end of
the story. Married life was not kind to Mitza.
This fictionalized
account of Einstein’s first wife is based on letters between the
two and a letter between Mitza and her friend, Helene. Although there
is no evidence to support the idea that they collaborated on
scientific projects after they were married, the author takes the
view that they did and that Mitza was partially responsible for
Einstein’s ideas that led to his winning the Nobel Prize.
I enjoyed the book,
but found it difficult to accept that Mitza was treated so badly by
Einstein, more like a handmaiden than a collaborator. However, the
author does an excellent job of bringing the scenes in Serbia and
Zurich to life.
I recommend this
book if you are interested in the woman behind the man. I reserve
judgment on the accuracy of the portrayal, but it’s a well written
book that presents a unique hypothesis.
I received this book
from Sourcebooks for this review.
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