Women's History Month: Her Hidden Genius

Her Hidden Genius

 

By Marie Benedict

Her Hidden Genius would be a wonderful time to read in the month of March. 

I am a book nerd, so the novel is perfect for me. I have read several other novels by Marie Benedict. This one hits more than her others. As I'm a science nerd. I love anything with science, discovery, and women heroes, and of course gets me all riled up with justice.  I'm right there, lol!😆

The publisher should have put a diagram of the double helix of DNA. They also should have put a summary of the importance of DNA, and M-RNA in the afterword. Not everyone has a science background.  Luckily for me, I had taken Anatomy and Physiology in college. So, of course, I connected with the novel because of the science but also the characters. 

                                                      

                                                                    

This is where her story begins after she finishes her studies in the 1940s. Rosalind is a British citizen, and also Jewish. Rosalind takes a position at Cambridge University, and then at BCURA,  and then travels to France. The few positions she's held. She is not happy.

She has become emotionally involved with a peer which doesn't conclude well. She also has a difficult time with her male peers.  She is hurt, and decides to move on back to Britain. Where she takes another position. This is where her life becomes complicated.  She discovers the double helix. 

                                                                    

Her fellow peers find many different ways to sabotage her work.  Randall, her supervisor is under pressure for grant money. He pushes her to talk about her discovery of the double helix. She doesn't think there is enough credible scientific backing to prove her findings, she refuses.

 Instead at the same conference, her fellow scientist speaks at the lecture and lies and takes the credit for the discovery of the double helix. After the conference, back at the lab, other scientists undermine her work.  They lie, gossip, steal her work. 

 How would you feel if for years you were working on a project alone, except for your assistant? No one else has mentioned the interest.  You are the only person doing the sweat and tears. Someone takes the credit.  Then out of the blue, they take credit. You are blindsided. 

You are undermined by other scientists. They received the recognition and you didn't. 

This is the boys club. Unfortunately, women were treated as worthless. You were seen but never heard. This is the world before. Thank goodness Marie Benedict has unearthed one such woman. I am sure there are many others like her. I am very grateful to women writers like Marie Benedict who discovered silent women. 

 If it wasn't for Rosalind Franklin. Who knows what history would have changed. Or how Pfizer or Moderna would have come to being for Covid vaccines. if it wasn't for Rosalind Franklin's discovery. We and the world owe much gratitude to her for her discovery.  Yes, even men. 

But it was one woman, at the beginning, Rosalind Franklin who discovered the helix. Unfortunately, Rosalind Franklin never saw her contributions. She passed away at the early age of 38 of Cancer. Most likely from the exposure. 

                                                                               

The novel is historical fiction of course. But, you can do your own research on, Rosalind Franklin on the web to see what contributions she had to science, and DNA. I recommend the book highly if you love science, and love history. Btw, Rosalind Franklin has a university named after her, Rosalind Franklin University, in Chicago. Mazel Tov, post humorously.