Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful historical fiction book by Marie Benedict - 4.5 stars!
Dr. Rosalind Franklin defied expectations all her life - born into a wealthy family, she was expected to marry well and spend her life giving back to the community. But she was a scientist through and through, and became a pioneer in DNA research. She had to fight not only her family expectations, but her male colleagues who never gave her fair due, and instead tried to take credit for her work. Her work ended up taking her life at the age of 37 from cancer due to radiation exposure.
This was a fascinating look into the science of what makes us us, discovered by a woman mostly forgotten by history.. Dr Franklin literally devoted her life to her work. It's sad to read how she little was known of radiation effects at that time, and any possible worries easily dismissed. It's also a look into how Jewish people were treated after the end of WWII. Every time I read historical fiction, I just pray that we can do better going forward.
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