Her Hidden Genius

Marie Benedict

Publication Date: January 25, 2022 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rosalind Franklin has always been an outsider―brilliant, but different. Whether working at the laboratory she adored in Paris or toiling at a university in London, she feels closest to the science, those unchanging laws of physics and chemistry that guide her experiments. When she is assigned to work on DNA, she believes she can unearth its secrets.

Rosalind knows if she just takes one more X-ray picture―one more after thousands―she can unlock the building blocks of life. Never again will she have to listen to her colleagues complain about her, especially Maurice Wilkins who’d rather conspire about genetics with James Watson and Francis Crick than work alongside her.

Then it finally happens―the double helix structure of DNA reveals itself to her with perfect clarity. But what unfolds next, Rosalind could have never predicted.

My Thoughts:

Do you remember back in high school when you were forced to take Biology and Chemistry classes? For many of us the question of “when will I ever need this information” swarmed through our heads. This book is the reason you took those classes! With a stroke of her pen Benedict once again brings to light a woman whom history had bulldozed into oblivion.
Rosalind Franklin could have taken the easy road that was offered to her by her family. Instead she embraced her love of science and math. In a male dominated world, Franklin diligently strove to be the best. She willingly sacrificed any chance to have love and start her own family in order to better serve the scientific community. She fought to be acknowledged for her scientific discoveries amidst the challenges of jealousy and revenge.
Benedict takes extremely difficult scientific content and breaks it down into semi-digestible portions for the average reader. It is still a book that you need to dedicate your full attention to. Franklin’s life is short but fascinating. The recognition she deserves for her contributions to science is long overdue.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.