The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

Right, so keep in mind this is a work of fiction technically. Based loosely on real events that Marie Benedict found through the lives of the Einstein's. The characters were amazing and the relationships so dynamic. I'm actually so disappointed in Einstein as a person if any of that is actually rooted in truth. The writing definitely had me enraptured when I got into it.

I LOVED Mitza. So much. I felt everything she felt throughout the story with her. Einstein is one of the greatest scientific heroes recorded in our recent history, but through this story we find his many flaws and see the discrepancies between men and women of science during that time. It's so interesting how, because Mitza didn't finish her degree, she lost out on a lot of fame and recognition. 

One of my favorite lines in the story is "we may be Ein Stein, but it has become clear that we are of two hearts." Mitza says this to her husband after it becomes clear he has let his recent fame go to his head. The amount of heartbreak Mitza went through in her life is nearly unbearable. I hate the way he treated her like she was second class or some type of possession after he was the one who essentially ruined her life. He could have been so different. Mitza's life could have been so different.. It makes me wonder if she would have been more famous and discovered more theories than her husband had they never pursued their connection. Why did things change for him? Is this a warning that we should let our mind guide our big decisions rather than our hearts?

Description

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.