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kirstencholewa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Antisemitism
ksabol's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Antisemitism
jenna_justi2004's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book helped me out of a reading slump. I hate you Albert Einstein. Loved and appreciated the story of Mileva Marić. She deserved so much better.
. Gobsmacked and astonished as the story of the untold in school, Milevan “Mitza” Marić. I’m well aware that most of it is exaggerated and fiction but I’m amazed at the trials and tributes that she has been through until her separation from Albert. Even before meeting him, things weren’t easy. Her intelligence and character never wavered.Yet he tried to keep her into the mold he saw fit, she was able to escape. Not too many women are able to do that unscathed, not that she wasn’t. But she was able to make it out alive. The rage I felt throughout the story about her contribution to the theory of relativity in 1905 and not only not being credited, but being diminished by the man she loved and was there when she told him of her discovery. IN RELATION TO HER LATE DAUGHTER. She gave up every single part of herself for him. She tried so hard and yet was never able to be enough for him. I’m hoping desperately that it’s not reflecting the true story of Mileva but I don’t know. It might be. Her relationships with the other characters and her sons, and science, the thing that made her so happy and content, she was completely deprived of. It was just so heartbreaking and rewarding to read it. I’m glad she got out and I’m sadden that she never got the recognition she deserved. Remarkable women, to do what she did in spite of the narcissistic and selfish man who couldn’t handle the fame. Thoughts and prayers to her descendants.
“You’re a genius at everything but the human heart”
. Gobsmacked and astonished as the story of the untold in school, Milevan “Mitza” Marić. I’m well aware that most of it is exaggerated and fiction but I’m amazed at the trials and tributes that she has been through until her separation from Albert. Even before meeting him, things weren’t easy. Her intelligence and character never wavered.
“You’re a genius at everything but the human heart”
“Albert we may be Ein Stein (one stone), but it has been clear that we are of two hearts”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
kcbatts's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Antisemitism
bree_of_the_woods's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
This book left me feeling conflicted. The story of Mileva is frustrating, and sad, with, obviously for those who know about the Einstein, no redemption. The crushing wave of events lined up against her life just make for a dark and sad story.
While obviously a novel, it’s still based on history, and it’s hard to sort through what is fictional and what is factual, without going & reading Albert & Mileva’s actual letters, which is what really leaves me at a loss of how to accept or rate this story. The authors writing style is excellent and I enjoyed the way she built and wove this story, even if her liberties may well have been overrreaching (or who knows, spot on?) due to lack of facts for foundation.
Either way I found it difficult, relating to Mileva as both a woman and a mother, as Albert continuously lets her down and devalues her, and her need to accept it because of the rules of society in her time. His actions and words are harmful at best, but often are horrific and made me very angry. Mileva goes through waves of strength, then self suppression, that are also tough to navigate as a modern woman. By the end, while she finally chooses to get away from his abuse, she’s still ultimately defeated by Albert, who as a reader we’ve learned to be completely disgusted by.
Again, sorting fact from fiction is tricky, as the author takes many liberties in the story of their lives — with so much fact lacking in our world as it is — and I’m left struggling with what I’ve read.
While obviously a novel, it’s still based on history, and it’s hard to sort through what is fictional and what is factual, without going & reading Albert & Mileva’s actual letters, which is what really leaves me at a loss of how to accept or rate this story. The authors writing style is excellent and I enjoyed the way she built and wove this story, even if her liberties may well have been overrreaching (or who knows, spot on?) due to lack of facts for foundation.
Either way I found it difficult, relating to Mileva as both a woman and a mother, as Albert continuously lets her down and devalues her, and her need to accept it because of the rules of society in her time. His actions and words are harmful at best, but often are horrific and made me very angry. Mileva goes through waves of strength, then self suppression, that are also tough to navigate as a modern woman. By the end, while she finally chooses to get away from his abuse, she’s still ultimately defeated by Albert, who as a reader we’ve learned to be completely disgusted by.
Again, sorting fact from fiction is tricky, as the author takes many liberties in the story of their lives — with so much fact lacking in our world as it is — and I’m left struggling with what I’ve read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Child death
themirrorball's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
when i first picked up this book i imagined it would be incredibly interesting. when i learned more about it i though it would be incredibly emotional. and while i think this book was trying to be those things, it never quite got there. at times it felt like it was going into far too much unnecessary detail, but at other times it felt like interesting and important topics were skimmed over without much thought. so while this book had great potential, it definitely fell flat, and ended being just fine in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism and Physical abuse
Minor: Antisemitism and War
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a really well-researched solid book. I love when I can tell that an author was a huge nerd about something. This really made me think about how often we pretend that men achieve success by themselves, when they so frequently have a partner making their lives 100 times easier by taking care of all of the minutiae.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Blood, and Gaslighting
Minor: Antisemitism
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I greatly appreciate stories about the women behind "great" men because women are so often overlooked, discounted, and mistreated, especially the further one looks back in history. These women deserve to be valued and respected, even if they never got acclaim in their lifetimes.
That being said, the book is quite boring and sad. It took me over a month to finish reading because nothing much happens except for fictionalized accounts of Mileva Marić's inner thoughts and feelings. It's a shame she didn't get to be more than a dutiful wife and mother. I appreciate the author's goal, but it didn't earn a place on my bookshelf.
That being said, the book is quite boring and sad. It took me over a month to finish reading because nothing much happens except for fictionalized accounts of Mileva Marić's inner thoughts and feelings. It's a shame she didn't get to be more than a dutiful wife and mother. I appreciate the author's goal, but it didn't earn a place on my bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Minor: Physical abuse
msjk427's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This was really good and completely turned some of my thoughts on Albert Einstein on their head. Previously, the first book I'd read of this type was Half Life about Madame Curie. While I enjoyed the science and story of Mitza in this book, the writing didn't entrance me quite as much as Half Life had. However, the story of Mitza was an emotional one and I can relate to both the notion of others taking credit for one's ideas, as well as the notion that sometimes we dim our own lights to appease others. Overall, a good read especially if you enjoy science and/or reading about overlooked historical figures.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
rillastone's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death