sparksinwords 's review for:

The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung

4.0

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The Tenth Muse is a beautifully-written novel about a mathematician named Katherine, spanning from her childhood growing up as one of few Asian-Americans in a small Midwest town in the 1940s to the struggles she faces as a woman to be taken seriously in her field. The story weaves together fairytales, wistful memories, and mathematical concepts as Katherine learns new truths about her family and searches for the feeling of belonging. Written from the perspective of Katherine later in life, the novel looks back on the events of the past with the wisdom of hindsight. There's a lot it's left me thinking about.