Title: The Othe EinsteinAuthor: Marie Benedict
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Jasmyn
A vivid and mesmerizing novel about the extraordinary woman who married and worked with one of the greatest scientists in history.
What secrets may have lurked in the shadows of Albert Einstein’s fame? His first wife, Mileva “Mitza” Marić, was more than the devoted mother of their three children—she was also a brilliant physicist in her own right, and her contributions to the special theory of relativity have been hotly debated for more than a century.
In 1896, the extraordinarily gifted Mileva is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zürich. There, she falls for charismatic fellow student Albert Einstein, who promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. But as Albert’s fame grows, so too does Mileva’s worry that her light will be lost in her husband’s shadow forever.
A literary historical in the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe,The Other Einstein reveals a complicated partnership that is as fascinating as it is troubling.
Well, I guess I don't know history as well as I thought I did. The Other Einstein could mean a couple things here. The more obvious "other" Einstein being Mileva Einstein, Albert's first and brilliant wife. It could also refer to the "other" Einstein being Albert himself, and a side of his life and personality that isn't often shown in your traditional histories. Both aspects of this Other Einstein are fascinating and not what I expected at all.
Mileva is an incredibly brilliant woman - possibly more so than Einstein himself - and she is unable to resist the charm of a young Albert at school. They seem to be the perfect couple, their wit and personalities complimenting each other while the intellects feed off each other's thoughts and ideas. It seems as if the stage is set for quite an amazing happily every after.
But soon things begin to change, and this was the part that I found quite fascinating. Watching the change in their relationship as it morphed into a completely different thing than when it first began, it is hardly recognizable. At times the changes were quite subtle and hard to notice, while others were shocking in their suddenness.
This was a great historical story that takes you deep into Western and Eastern European culture. At times the events were just a tad drawn out without a lot of momentum to them, but perhaps this was just to show the times where their lives seemed to come to a stand still. Definitely a book I would recommend.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
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