Her Hidden Genius

She changed the world with her discovery. Three men took the credit.

Rosalind Franklin has always been an outsider—brilliant, but different. Whether working at the laboratory she adored in Paris or toiling at a university in London, she feels closest to the science, those unchanging laws of physics and chemistry that guide her experiments. When she is assigned to work on DNA, she believes she can unearth its secrets.

Rosalind knows if she just takes one more X-ray picture—one more after thousands—she can unlock the building blocks of life. Never again will she have to listen to her colleagues complain about her, especially Maurice Wilkins who’d rather conspire about genetics with James Watson and Francis Crick than work alongside her.

Then it finally happens—the double helix structure of DNA reveals itself to her with perfect clarity. But what unfolds next, Rosalind could have never predicted.

Praise

“Benedict brings to life Franklin’s grit and spirit… an important contribution to the historical record.”
—Washington Post

“Marie Benedict brings human warmth and in-depth science to a novel on the life of Rosalind Franklin… Benedict is terrific at showing how male exclusivity operates and has researched the science in magnificent depth… A humanly as well as scientifically engaging read.”
—Financial Times

“Benedict adeptly brings forward another accomplished, intriguing, and unjustly overlooked or oversimplified real-life woman in a welcoming and involving historical novel.”
—Booklist

“One can only imagine what more she could have given back to the world. One can also hope that Marie Benedict will continue to honor hidden women with her beautifully crafted and carefully researched historical novels that bring them to light.”
—New York Journal of Books

“Marie Benedict has a remarkable talent for forcing open the racks of history to draw extraordinary women into the sunlight… Fans of historical fiction will devour this complex portrait of a brilliant and trailblazing genius and the price she paid to advance the frontiers of science.”
—Beatriz Williams, New York Time bestselling author of Our Woman in Moscow

“Impeccably researched and beautifully written… A remarkable story of strength, perseverance, and achievement. Marie Benedict once again shines a light on women in science, vibrantly brining Rosalind Franklin’s genius to life in the pages of her novel.”
—Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Half Life

“What an important book this is… So brilliantly sketched is this brilliant woman that you will find yourself both infuriated by the misogynistic battles she faces and inspired by the intellectual achievements she manages to secure regardless. A must-read for anyone interested in science or forgotten heroines.”
—Kate Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Radium Girls and The Women They Could Not Silence

“Marie Benedict has given us an immense gift: a peek into the inner world of Rosalind Franklin, one of the most brilliant—and overlooked—scientist of her time… This is Benedict’s best work yet, a book that will break your heart, rattle your expectations, and ultimately leave you stunned by the sacrifices one woman made for science.”
—Nathalia Holt, New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls

“Marie Benedict does it again, pulling another brilliant woman out of the shadows of history into an illuminating portrait for posterity… educational and astounding. Brava!”
—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter