Reviews

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict

rmarcin's review against another edition

5.0

Excellent historical fiction about Rosalind Franklin, a groundbreaking scientist whose work in discovering the double helix and pioneering DNA research, which was taken by Watson and Crick without credit to Franklin. Very readable and interesting to read about this amazing strong and brilliant woman.

kaylaellis's review against another edition

So slow, I could not get into it.

justpeachy007's review against another edition

2.0

I was unpleasantly surprised at how dull and boring this book was after having read The Mystery of Ms. Christie by the same author. I was so excited to start plowing through several of her other titles, and this one was intriguing because I’m a female with a math degree. But it seemed to drag on forever without creating any real connection or likability with the main character. And oh my word we get it, she’s a scientist who doesn’t believe in God. I almost stopped halfway but wanted to know what happened to her. I’m glad I read Ms. Christie before this one or I may have never read any other titles by this author. Willing to give her another try though. This one just wasn’t for me.

toniclark's review against another edition

4.0

This is the third book I've read by Marie Benedict, who writes historical novels about interesting women. I've enjoyed all of them. This one is about the life of Rosalind Franklin, the British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was central to discovering the molecular structures of DNA. She did not exactly get the recognition she deserved during her lifetime (that all went to Watson and Crick), nor did she share in the Nobel prize awarded to them, having died at age 37, four years (I think) before the award was made. This book has quite a bit of science in it and may not appeal to some, but I loved it. I've always been interested in Franklin. The rampant sexism in science labs at the time, combined with her early death makes her story a sad one. But she was an incredibly strong woman, devoted to doing good science. My only reservation about the book stems from not knowing how much was literally true as opposed to fictional embellishment. I'll need to read a biography now.

tlcameron's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

deeisabibliophile_'s review against another edition

4.0

4.8 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

kellynmadden's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

4.0

I love how Marie Benedict shines a light on women from the past who are little well known. Ever since reading Watson and Crick's book for a college class, I've been fascinated by the role Rosalind Franklin played in the discovery of the double helix.

This reimagined account of her life and work was compelling and so educational. Highly recommended, especially for fans of historical accounts of women in STEM like Benedict's The other Einstein or Half life by Jillian Cantor. Great on audio narrated by Nicola Barber. Much thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my advance review copy!

lmhenry9's review against another edition

adventurous informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

eneubig's review against another edition

5.0

I haven't been so disturbed by a piece of historical fiction before as it feels so disturbingly true! That Watson and Crick used her images I had heard before, but that they had no data of their own, I hadn't realized! I loved The Double Helix as a young teen, a gift from my science loving brother. I heard Watson speak at the VanAndel Institute in 2011 and thought him a bit of a blustering buffoon due to his age, but perhaps he always was.