The Other Einstein

In 1896, Mileva (Mitza) Maric arrives in Zurich to attend the Polytechnic Institute. Female students are uncommon at the University, female students of physics are even more unusual. As she entered the classroom for the first time, she heard her father's words echoing in her head, the familiar Serbian tongue a comfort, "You are a mudra glava. A wise one. In your heart beats the blood of bandits, our brigand Slavic ancestors who used any means to get their due. Go get your due" (Benedict 3-4).

The Other Einstein is the story of Mileva Marić, Albert Einstein's first wife. Mileva was a brilliant physics scholar in her own right. Her role in Albert's theories is a debate in the physics community. Marie Benedict  writes, "the question of what role she truly played in Albert's 'miracle year' of 1905 became an examination of how Mileva was forced to subsume her academic ambitions and intellect to Albert's ascent and how she had to disguise her own discoveries as his. Her story was, in many was, the story of many intelligent, educated women whose own aspirations and contributions were marginalized in favor of their spouses." (Introduction). Unfortunately, this gender inequality still transpires in academia. It is only by seeking, defending, and fighting for one's due that such inequalities can become a thing of the past.

The events of the book take place between 1896 and the Einstein's divorce in 1914. Mileva narrates the entire story. Early chapters present a vivid portrait of a lively young woman arriving at university and struggling to find her footing in the male-dominated world of physics. Upon meeting fellow student Albert, Mileva felt lost, "Lost as in directions. Lost to myself. Lost to him." As their research and romance progress, Mileva becomes a shadow of herself. Einstein pushes her aside and relegates her to traditional woman's roles of child-rearing and housekeeping. The Other Einstein becomes a bleak portrait of life in the shadow of a genius. One example of Einstein's dominance is his erasure of Mileva's name on their published theory; his reasoning is that they are one--one stone, Ein stein. As one can guess, Mileva did not get her due, at least not from Albert.


Go get your due!