laurieb755 's review for:

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

3.25

adventurous dark informative tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

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I have become a fan of Marie Benedict and her historical fiction books, however this book did not grab me in the same way as others of her books that I have read. The attempt to write in Hedy's voice did not feel natural to me and I would have liked more information on the research done by Benedict. For instance, the relationship Hedy had with her first husband sounded idyllic at first but soon descended into one of control and physical violence on his part. How much of their lives together was described based on sources, were there first hand references to how Hedy was treated and what she experienced?

At the same time, Benedict portrayed a woman with enormous resilience and talent, both on the stage, in film and in the realm of science. Perhaps Benedict's job was well done in that the book made me want to read an in-depth biography (as opposed to historical fiction) of Hedy Lamarr. 

There are multiple sites where you can learn more about Hedy Lamarr: https://www.hedylamarr.com/, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/hedy-lamarr, https://www.invent.org/inductees/hedy-lamarr and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr