I will hold my hands up and say I had not heard the name Rosalind Franklin before reading this book. Therefore I found it to be extremely insightful and informative throughout.

Her Hidden Genius follows the life story of Rosalind Franklin, whose crucial contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA was left in the shadows for too long, and has been finally brought to light. Rosalind sacrificed her life for her science, and Benedict's novel finally gives justice to her story.

We are often guilty as a society of defining a woman by the men in her life, and I love how Benedict chooses to tell Rosalind's whole story, not just the parts about Watson and Crick that we're so used to hearing about. It was absolutely heartbreaking to feel Rosalind's emotions throughout the story, knowing how things ended, but it is a testament to Benedict's skill in getting into the head of the character. This novel also cleverly addresses the sexist notions that a woman needs to have a weak personality in order to pander to men, and how Rosalind was punished for not obeying that idea. This novel could be bleak at times, but was punctuated by rays of hope that made for a nuanced, emotional read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a free Advanced Reader's Copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rosalind Franklin makes a wonderful subject. And, much has been written about her and her life. This novelization doesn’t really add much to what I have read elsewhere. Rather, it doesn’t compare favorably.

Being unfamiliar with Rosalind Franklin and her research into DNA, I am so impressed with her accomplishments given the many hurdles she faced in the mid 1940s to the late 1950s. One of the biggest was being a smart, upper class Jewish woman working in the almost exclusively male field of research. The author does an amazing job of recreating the stress and anxiety of Rosalind’s work and the environment in which she was forced to work. This novel is heavy in science, necessary to the story, but requiring full attention when reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC to read and review.

This author is absolutely fabulous, and I am always amazed at the amount of research and facts go into each of her novels, and how she is able to make the books flow so easily. She puts so much time into getting the facts straight, while also creating an enjoyable story as she fills in the blanks for us.
This particular novel follows the life and struggle of Rosalind Franklin in the 1940s and 1950s, to become one of the leading scientists in the world. Rosalind is coming to greatness in a time when few women were accepted into the science community. She struggles against the sexism in her industry, which creates numerous roadblocks during her research and discoveries. Her whole life is put into her work with DNA, RNA, and virus structures; among other things. She never gets the credit with her discoveries that she should. She was often misunderstood because she was so serious and focused on her work, and because she came from a family with wealth. Thankfully, after her death, she had many people that came to her defense and that's how we learn who she truly was. Thanks to Marie Benedict for continuing the celebration of the life and discoveries of Rosalind Franklin.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Benedict introduces us to a little known but important female character in scientific history. Rosalind Franklin's scientific experiments and results share an important part of DNA research in the mid-20th century at a time when women had to make difficult choices to do meaningful work. The story of Her Hidden Genius takes us to the laboratory where this work takes place and shows us the internal and external struggles of a woman from history who was a trailblazer and a meaningful contributor. She must deal with the objections of her family and the scientists she works for and with who are jealous and mean-spirited.

Benedict's timing for this novel couldn't be better. The race to identify the nature of DNA mirrors the recent race to produce a vaccine. Due to Benedict's research, readers get a glimpse at the struggles Rosalind Franklin faced as a female in a male dominated field and her scientific accomplishments despite those struggles.

Once again, Marie Benedict has written a fascinating, well researched historical fictional novel about a strong accomplished woman whom many know little about. Rosalind Franklin was a scientist in the 1940’s and 50’s whose groundbreaking research and discoveries were integral to our understanding of DNA. This artfully crafted story conveys the challenges and struggles she faced in the male dominated scientific and academic fields. The explanations of the science involved in Rosalind’s work was detailed and at times slows the flow of the story. However, it also enlightens the reader and makes one truly appreciate Rosalind’s intelligence and commitment to scientific discovery. Sadly, her accomplishments were largely unrecognized in her lifetime as her male peers took credit for her work. Don’t miss this compelling story of a remarkable woman.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rosalind Franklin isn't a household name, but she should be. Marie Benedict tells her story with deep insight into her personality, her intricate and laborious work the DNA and RNA, and the family and society that she did not quite fit into. The scientific information is detailed, but information. The settings well painted. While the story of her life and family teach us much about women scientist of her generation. Give this one to any student who loves science, history, and women.

I knew about Rosalind Franklin, her brilliance, how men scientists conspired against her and how the Nobel Prize was essentially stolen from her. Thank you, Ms. Benedict for bringing her story to life.

Marie Benedict consistently brings thorough research to her historical novels about important and not always fully recognized women. In Her Hidden Genius she lets us into the life of Rosalind Franklin, her role in the discovery of DNA structure, and struggles in her personal life. Although brimming with scientific information, the story flows beautifully. It will be a book club favorite.

Marie Benedict has a very keen way of describing little known female heroes from history, and the story of Rosalind Franklin is no different. Though Rosalind has always felt like somewhat of an outsider, she certainly feels at home in a science lab. When she is given the chance to work on DNA, she sacrifices everything to discover the secrets within the building blocks of life. Unfortunately for Rosalind, the male colleagues in her field pushed her genius and discoveries to the background, but Rosalind's brilliant discovery and powerful drive to succeed would not be snuffed out. This is a fascinating story of one heck of a smart woman, whose contributions to science are still felt today and will be forever more.

Benedict tells a compelling story that delivers narrative tension even though the reader already knows the broad strokes of the ending. Her writing does not pause for extensive internal monologues or overly detailed explanations of the science. Rather, "Her Hidden Genius" keeps its focus solidly on Rosalind Franklin - her intellect, her passion, and the forces that defined her as a scientist and a person. Franklin's character was shown rather than told. Details were kept brief but consistent (eg discarding too-high readings of her dosimeter). The choice to dip in and out of her life at milestones both large and small kept the story flowing; my only quible was with the few chapters that had two disparate dates. This choice also highlighted just how short her life was, especially given all Franklin accomplished. The characters all felt realistic; the choice to see the antagonists solely through the eyes of a woman wholly devoted to her science kept the story from spending too much time speculating on the motivations of other players.
The authors' note succinctly explains the research and the process of extrapolations that were made; it was enlightening and pointed to further resources for the reader to explore and learn more about Rosalind Franklin.

I'm always eager to learn about the newest Marie Benedict novel. Her historical fiction titles are so good. I love being able to recommend them to readers at my library. This book is very timely since it focuses on DNA which we keep hearing about, of course. Learning about the frustration that Rosalind Franklin faced as a woman scientist and how determined she was to reveal the structure of DNA was fascinating. I'm so glad I took the time to read this book!

A historical fiction look at the life of Rosalind Franklin. As a female scientist operating in the confines of a predominantly male scientific field we learn about her life, her struggles, and her passions. Her life changes the world, and in the process the world changes her. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

In post World War II France, Rosalind Franklin enters a new position at a lab that welcomes her as an equal, an opportunity she didn't have in England. Rosalind loves the camaraderie of the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de l'État and becomes one of the top researchers in X-ray crystallography. Rosalind decides to leave France and join King's College London where she is given a new research topic to use her expertise in X-Ray crystallography for- DNA. Rosalind is unwittingly thrown into the race to figure out the properties and form of DNA. Rosalind finds competition within her own lab as her colleague Maurice Wilkins conspires against her and collaborates with Watson and Crick who are not even supposed to be working on DNA. Despite the difficult conditions, Rosalind pushes through until the hidden details of DNA reveal themselves to her.

As a female scientist I have always revered the female pioneers who paved the way and made it possible for me to enter my field. While Her Hidden Genius is a work of fiction, it has obviously been meticulously researched and includes many facts of Rosalind's life while researching DNA. Rosalind had an incredibly difficult path to forge. Despite her family being wealthy, Rosalind was a Jewish woman in post World War II Europe entering the field of scientific research. Immediately, Rosalind's passion for the science, details and finding the truth shone through. I was immersed in Rosalind's time in the lab and the atmosphere of the science labs at the time. The writing did a wonderful job of explaining the science of Rosalind's projects while showing the human side of the science as well. I enjoyed reading about the camaraderie in the lab as well as the competition. I was enraged as Rosalind questioned her brusqueness of her tone and words to the men around her while those men were quite literally stealing her data. Rosalind amazed me with her ability to move forward and fight for her science as well as her grace and acceptance that Watson and Crick published their results first based on her research. While Rosalind might have been forgotten for a time and seen through the eyes of her male researchers, Her Hidden Genius is a step in giving Rosalind Franklin the recognition she deserves.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this amazing book. Marie Benedict did it again! She created another masterpiece, highlighting yet another phenomenal, not very well known woman (Rosalind Franklin) and her crucial contribution to society. Can’t recommend this book high enough and can hardly wait to find out what Ms. Benedict is working on next.

Do you remember back in high school when you were forced to take Biology and Chemistry classes? For many of us the question of "when will I ever need this information" swarmed through our heads. This book is the reason you took those classes! With a stroke of her pen Benedict once again brings to light a woman whom history had bulldozed into oblivion.
Rosalind Franklin could have taken the easy road that was offered to her by her family. Instead she embraced her love of science and math. In a male dominated world, Franklin diligently strove to be the best. She willingly sacrificed any chance to have love and start her own family in order to better serve the scientific community. She fought to be acknowledged for her scientific discoveries amidst the challenges of jealousy and revenge.
Benedict takes extremely difficult scientific content and breaks it down into semi-digestible portions for the average reader. It is still a book that you need to dedicate your full attention to. Franklin's life is short but fascinating. The recognition she deserves for her contributions to science is long overdue.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

“Her Hidden Genius” is a novel based on the life of scientist Rosalind Franklin. This book tells the story of a remarkable woman and the contributions she made to the “unraveling” of the mysteries of the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, and viruses. The book not only brings to light the scientific accomplishments of Dr. Franklin, but also tells her personal story- how her family, her friends, and her feelings shaped her to become an important, albeit little known, figure in her field.
The author is able to effectively take the reader to post-war Paris and London and describe the influences that these settings had on the scientific communities Dr. Franklin was a part of. Being an investigative scientist in a male=dominated field would require a level of dedication and determination that the author emphasized throughout the story . The author provides enough detail about Dr. Franklin’s work to give the reader insight into her genius, but not so much as to bog the story down.
This book leans more toward the “historical” aspects of Dr. Franklin’s story, and less toward the “fiction”, Overall, it was a worthwhile read about an interesting woman whose significant contributions to her field have been largely overlooked by history.