Marie Benedict brings Rosalind Franklin to life again in a way I've never imagined her as a person. I became aware of her contributions when I was a biology major at a woman's college in the late 70s and early 80s. Thankfully, I had professors in my classes who did not treat Watson, Crick, and Wilkins with the same hagiography I had experienced in HS, and did acknowledge how Franklin's work was foundational to their model-building. What I didn't realize, however, was just how awful the White-male dominated postwar scientific community around her behaved at the time of the discovery. Because she was a woman, and even, possibly, because she was Jewish.
I wish I could say that this part of the story was overdone, but having worked in that community, I suspect it wasn't. For every supportive, intelligent man I learned from and worked with (and there were many, as well as superlative women) there were two or three mediocre Wilkins types just waiting to use the work of the women or other already marginalized individuals in the field around them to lever themselves into better positions for themselves, and stepping on anyone (man or woman) whom they felt threatened their ambitions. (I also saw this in a couple of women.) Sadly, these people will use any cultural cudgel they can conjure: Racism/bigotry, LGBTQ, religion, gender, etc., to undermine their colleagues for their own benefit.
What this story does, however, is shows the benefits of real collaboration, in this case in science, and how one of Franklin's many legacies is the scientists with whom she collaborated who recognized the benefits of synergy that Franklin championed, all of whom ended up making important contributions in their own right. That is not fiction.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly. It addresses these weighty issues, but in a very readable way. So much so I devoured the book in one sitting.
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Popular Highlights in this book
“This will be your task, Miss Franklin—not just to map the molecular structure of DNA with an eye toward discovering the location of genes with your brilliant skills as an X-ray crystallographer but to beat anyone else who enters the race.Highlighted by 218 Kindle readers- When multiple photographs are taken at different angles and conditions, scientists can calculate the atomic and molecular three-dimensional structure of that substance by studying the pattern and measuring the diffracted beams.Highlighted by 146 Kindle readers
- Even though I don’t relish being part of this man-made race, even though I wish I could work on science for its own sake, I’ll be damned if I’ll let these two upstarts enter the race late and win.Highlighted by 139 Kindle readers
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True balance of historical information and fiction
Hidden Genius demonstrates the important work in the field of science and how one person can so fiercely love it to give up all else. Benedict story provides fictional insight into one of sciences leading female researchers from the 1940's/50's. The story discusses the biases she faced in the labs, the betrayals and the toxicity from her male counterparts. Frustrated but never deterred, Rosalind Franklin sets out to better humankind with her work with DNA.Her Hidden Genius is a true balance of historical information and fiction. It is a commanding story with memorable characters, places and lessons on DNA discoveries during this period. Here's hoping we continue to have more novels that shine the light on women's contributions in male dominated fields.Thank you Sourcebooks for the advance reader copy.
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Kindle Customer
Worthwhile Historical Scientific Read.
Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2023