Rosalind was a brilliant scientist working on the Manhattan Project, responsible for developing the atomic bomb…that is, until a co-worker, Weaver, (with whom she was having an affair) dumps her and orchestrates her firing. Now she works at a department store because, well, science isn’t a respectable job for a woman anymore. The breakup had devastated her so she’s trying to forget about that time in her life, but the FBI is trying to pull her back to Weaver and expose him for treason.
This book highlights the pressure for women – and men, for that matter – to submit to traditional roles. I appreciated the acknowledgement that such norms plague men as well as women. Feeling stuck is a constant theme throughout the novel. How did we get here? How do we overcome it? Those were the pros, but overall I didn’t love this book. I didn’t hate it but would classify it as “fine.” It too lightly skimmed several genres: romance, historical fiction, intrigue…it didn’t exactly scream any specific category in particular. For something categorized as historical fiction (Weaver is based on a real person), it didn’t feel particularly historical; more like a love story that happened to be set a few decades ago. And about that love story…it was slow and then rushed. More in my Goodreads review to avoid spoilers here.
2.75 out of 5 stars (a little slow and hard to get into with a kind of annoying ending)
Pair with: Grappa
Peaches to Apples 