by Marie Benedict, 2016
If you enjoyed the book Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and if that book made you mad about the way women in science were treated in the 1950s and 60s, then take a step back about 50 years and prepare to get even madder. The Other Einstein, released in 2016, introduces us to the relatively unknown first wife of world-renowned physicist Albert Einstein—Mileva Marić, a brilliant scientist in her own right.
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Albert and Mileva meet at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, at the turn of the century when she is 20 years old; he is 19. She is the only woman studying mathematics and physics at a time when all her female peers are at home, already married and having babies. Their shared love of the sciences draws them together like a magnet; their deepening attraction eventually leads them to become lovers. But the science always comes first in Albert’s mind: they do experiments, study, write papers together late into the night. That is what sustains him. While Mileva thought that they were in love, and equals in the classroom and the laboratory, Albert put their scientific endeavors first and their personal life was a distant second.
In the early 1900s Mileva becomes pregnant and, feeling no support from Albert, travels back home to Syria to be with her parents for the birth of their daughter. Promises of marriage from Albert are uttered but never materialize, nor does he go to visit his child. Mileva’s parents smell a rat. But as much as they push Mileva to cut ties with him, she cannot bring herself to do so.
Einstein’s famous theory of relativity was developed, and the seminal research paper was published during the time that he was involved with Mileva. To this day, it is hotly debated as to who was the one who actually developed this theory: Albert or Mileva? The book gives a hypothesis.
The degree to which Mileva’s accomplishments and contributions were overlooked and overshadowed cannot be exaggerated, especially considering the time period in which she lived. Women were simply not considered capable and not given credit. Once she started having children, her abilities and indeed her whole personality was subsumed into Albert. The very thing that initially attracted him to her—her mind—was dismissed. He simply would not play second fiddle to any woman, and unfortunately this mindset was the rule, not the exception.
One looming exception existed for Mileva: Madame Marie Curie. She and Marie Curie were not only contemporaries, but they also became friends after the Einsteins were houseguests of Mme. Curie during a Paris conference. It was during that stay that the two women got to know each other, and Mileva learned of the unwavering support Marie Curie received from her late husband Pierre for her career path and her nomination for the Nobel Prize. Theirs was a true partnership that she thought she might have with Albert one day, but it never materialized. Pierre Curie was a man ahead of his time, extraordinary in his clear-eyed ability to give credit where credit was due, championing his wife’s achievements and fighting so she would receive the recognition she deserved. The contrast between him and Albert Einstein, and indeed most men of that time period, could not have been greater.
The author’s resources are discussed in the Author’s Note, where she describes the treasure trove of personal letters exchanged between Albert and Mileva during their early student years leading up to the seminal paper of 1905, upon which she built the framework of this novel. While it’s important to remember that some of what we are reading is fiction, it’s difficult to read this book and come away having the same vaulted opinion about Albert Einstein. Once again, however, we can rejoice that the light of a brilliant woman has been allowed to shine because of this author’s research and impeccable writing.
