The Other Einstein, by Marie Benedict

The "other Einstein" is Mileva Marić, Albert Einstein's first wife, a brilliant physicist who met Einstein when both were students at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland in the late 1890s. Not much is known about Marić, but Marie Benedict, in this fictional account, has done a stellar job of extrapolating from existing historical data and using that data to write convincingly about Marić's life.

Serbian, with a supportive father who told her to "be bold" and become a leading woman physicist at a time when most Serbian women (and women of other nationalities) did not even seek university degrees, Marić wanted desperately to make her "papa" proud of her. Her desire, however, for an academic life, clashed with the uniform goal for women of her day -- marriage and children. This conflict played a large part in Marić's decision to keep her relationship with Einstein platonic for a number of years. During this time, Marić helped Einstein with his studies, and allowed him to play his violin at the musical evenings she and her female friends held at her Engelbrecht Pension (student boarding house for women). Eventually, after much soul searching, Marić did allow herself to become romantically involved with Einstein. The romance, and subsequent marriage were laden with problems and traumatic events, including the heart-breaking, gut-wrenching death of Marić's and Einstein's first born daughter from scarlet fever.

Benedict focuses almost entirely on Marić's thoughts and world view. An understandable approach since so little effort has been made by the scientific world to research Marić, her life, and her work, and establish what role she played in Einstein's 1905 breakthrough on relativity. Einstein does not fare well in Benedict's approach, perhaps that is his due, or perhaps more research must be done on his partnership with Marić. Benedict makes one fact clear, however, Einstein willingly broke with the rigid social and scientific norms of his day and treated Marić as an equal for at least a portion of their relationship.

Marić has been a little known figure in science history, and what writings there have been about her always mentioned Einstein. This has not been true about the thousands, perhaps millions, of writings about Einstein--very few mention Marić, and only recently has there been serious debate about whether Marić was the first to understand relativity, not Einstein. While Benedict lights up this debate in this fictional account, she clearly understands that the serious discussion has only just started. This is an important book.

(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (October 18, 2016)

The Agency 1: A Spy in the House, by Y.S. Lee

Y.S. Lee has written an intriguing, delightful novel about an all female investigative agency in Victorian London of the 1850s that selects only the most intelligent, independent girls. The girls, as exemplified by Mary Quinn in this first installment of the series, are found in the most desperately poor parts of London. Quinn was not only poor, 12 years old, and an orphan when found, she also had been sentenced to hang for the crime of house breaking. After five years of intensive education at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Quinn is invited to join the agency and placed in a wealthy home as companion to the daughter of the house so that she could investigate the shady dealings of the father. Her spirit and intelligence are tested as she confronts not only the corrupt undercurrent of the father's business, but also her own past. This was an excellent read and I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Series: The Agency (Book 1)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)

As Time Goes By, By Mary Higgins Clark

As always, Mary Higgins Clark tells an absorbing tale of mystery, murder and long-lost relatives. Betsy Grant's husband has been murdered. At one time a wealthy, successful orthopedic specialist, Dr. Grant has been suffering from early on-set Alzheimer's disease. His wife has patiently and lovingly cared for him for years, but after a birthday dinner, he is found dead, with his skull fractured. Betsy Grant is now on trial for his murder, and it does not look good for her. Her stepson Alan Grant is desperate for money and cannot wait until Betsy is convicted and his father's estate goes only to him.

At the same time, Delaney Wright, a rising star news reporter for a big television station, and the reporter covering Betsy's trial, is trying to find her birth mother. Friends Alvirah and Willy, amateur investigators, have agreed to help her.

As any Clark reader will tell you, it is impossible to stop reading one of her novels once you start. That goes for this novel too

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (April 5, 2016)
Language: English

Mercer Girls, by Libby Hawker

"Mercer Girls" is loosely based on the first expedition of Asa Mercer to Massachusetts in the last year of the Civil War. Mercer sought to bring back hundreds of young women to tame and marry the "wild" bachelors of the rough and tumble young city of Seattle. He believed that the war had taken so many of the East's young men, that women would be lining up to go with him. Instead, as "Mercer Girls" depicts, only a little more than a dozen signed up.

Rather than unwittingly harm the descendants of Mercer and his Mercer girls, author Libby Hawker created fictional women, with a focus on three: Josephine Carey, the oldest "girl" at 35 with a burdensome secret, Dovey Mason, a 16 year old fleeing an intractable father who wanted to marry her off for the money to save his dying cotton mills, and Sophie Brandt, a young woman wrapped so tightly in her religious beliefs she had driven off all possible suitors. Together they traveled by train to New York City, then by ship to Central America, crossing over by land at Panama, and then, again, traveling by ship to San Francisco and Seattle, arriving in the middle of the night to an empty, dark city. Along the way, they fought terrible illnesses, and weathered boarding houses in various states of disrepair.

Each of the protagonists in Hawker's tale have richly detailed stories as they make their way in the West's brave new world. That their stories intersect with the early days of the suffragette movement is no coincidence. Indeed, Hawker depicts tough-minded Josephine, Susan B. Anthony, and Abigail Scott Duniway, speaking before the Washington State legislature in an early attempt to get the vote for women. (Anthony and Duniway really did so, the first women to do so in the history of the United States. I admit that Hawker's historically accurate usage of the statement "stronger together," a slogan put forward by these early suffragettes, caused me a moment of intense grief because of the events of 2016.)

The world of Mercer and his girls revolved around a vast unsettled nation and a Seattle that had more mud than paved roads, where prostitution was legal, and hard working men and women could become wealthy just through their labor. Hawker does a very good job of interweaving history with her fictional story. "Mercer Girls" is truly historical fiction at its best.

(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Paperback: 430 pages
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (May 10, 2016)

Transient City, by Ali Onia

Author Ali Onia successfully blends mid-century noir with dystopian-science fiction in this exciting new mystery novel. Downtrodden, broke and friendless, Victor Stromboli is the memory man in Transient City, an increasingly decrepit, crime-ridden city owned by the Agamemnon corporation on the planet Lodan. Like every city on the planet, Transient City moves from one mineral deposit to the next on huge treads. Above the treads, the city's dark and maze-like streets are breeding grounds for murder and thievery.

Stromboli's eidetic memory means he relives his traumatic memories often, such as the death of his mother in an arson fire when he was young. His memory is used by the Security Bureau police to capture every sight, smell and sound in a crime scene. As the crime rate soars, hard boiled detective McGivern brings Stromboli under his aegis to help solve a string of puzzling murders and disappearances. One of the disappearance cases leads Stromboli to Kathy Whittaker, a woman in distress and his first love.

Bureaucracy, treachery, corruption, bribery, murder- all exist in Transient City, and all seem to be blocking Stromboli's efforts to find the mastermind behind the growing number of murders before Kathy becomes the next victim.

Transient City's "Brave New World" dystopia and Raymond Chandler-like noir-grittiness leap off the page. This is a good read; I was sorry to see it end. Five stars.

(In exchange for an honest review, I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Paperback: 248 pages
Publisher: Bundoran Press Publishing (April 5, 2016)
Language: English

Ian at Grandma and Grandpa's House, by Pauline Oud

This is a sweet little book about Ian and his overnight stay with his grandma and grandpa. It is written for toddlers old enough to understand what suitcases are and that vegetable gardens produce food for soup. "Ian at Grandma and Grandpa's House" could help parents explain to a very young child why a short visit to his or her grandparents will be an exciting but cozy adventure.

(In exchange for an honest review, I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Age Range: 3 and up 
Grade Level: Preschool and up
Series: Ian and Sarah
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Clavis (October 11, 2016)

A Gefilte Fishy Tale, by Allison and Wayne Marks; illustrated by Renee Andriani.

Oy Gevalt! (Oh No!) It's Friday and shabbos (sabbath) is only hours away! Bubbe Judy (grandmother) wants to serve gefilte fish to the family at dinner, but she cannot open the jar! Zayde (grandfather) tries, and it still won't open. So Zayde, Bubbe Judy, grandson Jack, (a boychik (a sweet boy)), and his little dog take the jar to a mechanic, a dentist, a doctor, an inventor, and to everybody they know! But still the jar won't open and it is giving them tsuris (woe).

Authors Allison and Wayne Marks use simple rhyme sprinkled with Yiddish to tell their story, which makes it easier for children to remember the words after reading it, or hearing it read out loud. Renee Andriani's illustrations are cozy, modern and relatable. For example, if a child does not understand the description of the inventor who could not open the jar with his machine (called "Old Gus"), then he or she may grasp the story through the illustration of the disheveled, very alarmed cat and dog sitting near the soot-covered inventor.

This book is a wonderful introduction to Yiddish and the comforting way it is used and spoken in many Jewish families around the world. It is also a beautiful reminder for Jewish and non-Jewish children that Jewish culture and tradition are very much a part of American culture and will remain so. A Gefite Fishy Tale deserves a place in every school library.

(In exchange for an honest review, I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Paperback: 50 pages
Publisher: MB Publishing, LLC; 1 edition (August 28, 2016)

Children's Books

You asked and we listened. On at least once a month we will review fun and friendly children's books. New, old, folktales or fairy tales, we will review ones we pick and ones you pick. We hope you enjoy our fun and friendly reviews! Suggestions for children's books you would like us to review should be sent to jroslyn.reviews(at)gmail.com.

What is "J. Roslyn's Books?

"J. Roslyn's Books" is a virtual, welcoming safe place. All are welcome, no matter your country, or your planet (yes, aliens are welcome here). If you are respectful of your fellow human (or alien from another planet), you are welcome here. So, pick a review, get a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa, relax in one of our large comfy arm chairs, and get lost in reading. Stay as long you want. Enjoy!

Karma of the Silo: Patrice Fitzgerald's Prequel to Hugh Howey's WOOL Novels-UPDATED

UPDATE! Patrice Fitzgerald's five-book collection, Karma of the Silo, (reviewed below), a fabulous prequel to Hugh Howey's "Wool" series, also is available in one book: Karma of the Silo: the Collection: a WOOL story.

Patrice Fitzgerald's five-book prequel" to Hugh Howey's "Wool" novels is extraordinary. She brings Howey's future dystopia to the present by telling "Karma's" story, the story of a woman who could be our friend, sister, mother, neighbor, teacher or other contemporary. Through Karma, we hear the voices of a possible near future where Americans are forced into an underground existence in deep residential silos, originally sold to the US congress by a corrupt politician who claimed they were missile silos. As a result of imbibing drugged water, the silo inhabitants have limited memories (if any) of the "before time." Karma has vague memories of another husband before the one living in her tiny apartment, a husband who in reality was the unwitting architect of the 50 plus silos that hold the remnants of America.

You will not be able to put these Karma novels down, and you certainly will not regret reading them.

The Sky Used to be Blue: a Silo story (Karma Book 1)
Print Length: 63 pages
Publisher: eFitzgerald Publishing; 2 edition (January 4, 2014)
Publication Date: January 4, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Cleaning Up: a Silo story (Karma Book 2)
Print Length: 92 pages
Publisher: eFitzgerald Publishing; 1 edition (January 5, 2014)
Publication Date: January 5, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Deep Justice: a Silo story (Karma Book 3)
Print Length: 67 pages
Publisher: eFitzgerald Publishing; 4 edition (January 4, 2014)
Publication Date: January 4, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Rising Up: a Silo story (Karma Book 4)
Print Length: 77 pages
Publisher: eFitzgerald Publishing; 2 edition (January 3, 2014)
Publication Date: January 3, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Last Walk: a Silo story (Karma Book 5)
Print Length: 102 pages
Publisher: eFitzgerald Publishing; 1 edition (January 4, 2014)
Publication Date: January 4, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Edenland, by Wallace King

Writing non-fiction about the Civil War is hard because there are tens of thousands of historical sources, many of them first-hand accounts, that must be reviewed. Writing a novel about a runaway slave and a caucasian orphan from the swamps of North Carolina in the early days of the Civil War is perhaps even more difficult because no amount of fact checking will make the writing more believable if the author is not able to channel the voices of those demanding to be heard. Wallace King clearly heard those voices and she has crafted a believable, engrossing novel.

Hawk Bledsoe is the slave son of a white plantation owner who whips him because he has learned to read. Bledsoe, however, doesn't just know how to read, he has an extraordinary intellect and an eidetic memory that allows him to read a book once and then recite it from memory. He has even named himself after the protagonist in his favorite book, The Last of the Mohicans. As Bledsoe learns, a literate slave strikes terror into the hearts of slave owners.

After fleeing the plantation and slavery, intending to join Lincoln's army, Bledsoe finds himself waylaid by a snake bite in the "Dismal" swamp on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. A ragged, dirty, wild girl saves him using herbal medicine that she learned how to make while apprenticed to the "old witch" in the swamp. The girl, Alice Brown, has freed herself from abusive servitude to the old woman and insists on tagging along with Bledsoe. Enraged at being slowed down, Bledsoe finds himself caught by slave hunters who also mistake Alice for a runaway slave. Dressed in rags since she was a child, Alice is outraged at being chained, but also enchanted with the new, cheap dress the slave hunter has clad her in as he readies the pair for re-sale. Alice and Bledsoe manage to flee the slave traders, encountering the lynching of Union soldiers in Norfolk, and riots against the North in Baltimore. Seeking safety in the Blue Ridge Mountains, they find themselves conscripted as slaves serving the Confederate army which, unfortunately, has encamped nearby.

For a short while, after escaping the military, Alice and Bledsoe find refuge from slavery and slave owners. The wild Alice is tamed by a gentile, old south family, and Bledsoe finds himself assisting a sophisticated Northern spy under cover in Richmond. Their stories are fascinating, but we are left wanting more. Who was Alice? We learn from her vague memories that the old woman was made her guardian after her mother died aboard the ship from Ireland to America. What became of Bledsoe and his extraordinary intellect? King provides intriguing story hints that leap off the page begging to be told in more depth

In this novel, King manages to bring the depravity of the Civil War to life. While polite society drank tea in Richmond, the rivers bordering the battlegrounds turned red with blood. Most importantly, King brings to life the gut wrenching evil of slavery that southern slave owners justified by de-humanizing their slaves. This is a novel worth reading.

(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (May 24, 2016)
Language: English

Honor Bound (The Montana Hamiltons), By B.J. Daniels

In her sixth Montana Hamiltons' novel, B.J. Daniels takes us back to the small town of Beartooth, Montana. As with most small towns, nothing important ever happens here, except that local rancher, and Senator, Buckmaster Hamilton is about to win the U.S. presidency by a landslide; his wife, Sarah, missing for 22 years, and presumed dead, has miraculously re-appeared with no memory of the last two decades; and their one remaining unmarried daughter, Ainsley, is unknowingly working with jewel thieves while being stalked by a psychopath.

In the meantime, despite having no memory of it, Sarah is terrified that she may have been part of an underground terrorist organization which has threatened her and her family; and sensible 34 year old Ainsley has a virginity problem and a love/hate relationship with Sawyer, a gorgeous FBI agent on a mission to save her from her stalker.

Daniels never lets us down. Her novels grab us, entertain us, and let us go only when she is finished telling her story. If you are in need of a restful evening with an absorbing novel, get a copy of "Honor Bound," and a cup of cocoa and enjoy.

Print Length: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (November 1, 2016)
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.

November Fox – Book 1. Following Joy, A Metaphysical Visionary Fable, by E.E. Bertram

"November Fox" is definitely not your typical novel. Not only does the author provide music to listen to while reading the novel (on her linked webpage), she also promises that the book's illustrations are multilayered and they will be unlocked by an App the reader can download to a digital device. Whimsey, sorrow, heartbreak, trauma, joy, love, adventure, beauty, and magical pages in a ruby red bottle washed up on the English seaside. All of these, and this is only the first book of the "November Fox" experience. What an amazing roller coaster of a book!

You can purchase November Fox here.

(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)

Series: November Fox
Paperback: 292 pages
Publisher: Conscious Fiction; 2 edition (October 28, 2016)

(Photos and trailer courtesy of E.E. Bertram.)