A review by chandranolynne
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-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

I don't know if this was the ground-breaking novel I had expected it to be, but I definitely enjoyed it to the point of near unputdownability. Perhaps this is because I'm just coming out of reading The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, but I expected a much more dense, historical novel, whereas this read like a contemporary romance novel. Because of that, I was able to tear through this in just a few days. I did enjoy the scientific elements that, in my opinion, Marie Benedict made very accessible to any type of reader. I also thought she did an excellent job walking the reader through the small incidents and seemingly insignificant sacrifices it takes to "suddenly" find oneself lost in an abusive relationship. Of course, there were more obvious, traumatic experiences included as well, but the makings were already there. 

I didn't know about Mileva Maric before this novel, and for that reason I think the novel deserves a good deal of credit. I plan to go out and learn more from real-life history as I realize that much of this book was speculation, and I hope that many of Benedict's readers who are coming at this book from the same perspective do as well. We have so much to learn about the women of the past who have been lost in the shadows of their male counterparts.