Sisters in Science by Olivia Campbell ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In the 1930s, Germany was a hotbed of scientific thought. But after the Nazis took power, Jewish and female citizens were forced out of their academic positions. Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer, and Hildegard Stücklen were eminent in their fields, but they had no choice but to flee due to their Jewish ancestry or anti-Nazi sentiments.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

December 2024; Park Row; 978-0778333388
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); science history

I've been trying to read a bit more WWII non-fiction in the past couple of years, and I love to read science history so Sisters in Science was the perfect combination for me. It also ticked the box for reading outside of the life sciences as it is focused on scientists in physics and chemistry.

Campbell might start with the WWII years but she tells these women's stories from the start of their careers before the war (mostly the 1920s and early 1930s). So in that way, we get much more science history.

I have read several books (both fiction and nonfiction) that showcase the plight of women in the early years of science. If books like A Lesson in Chemistry or A Lab of Her Own sparked your curiosity and interest, then this book should definitely be on your list to read.

I already knew about some of the challenges and obstacles women faced such as being uncredited authors of papers and being left out of notable awards. But I don't think I realized how much unpaid work these women took on to pursue their passion. And definitely with this book, there is the added layer of cultural and political discrimination that was occurring in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

Perhaps it's because I'm not as familiar with physics and chemistry (but more likely because they are women), I've never heard of the four women who are the focus of the book. However, I did recognize many of the male scientists mentioned, such as Albert Einstein (theory of relativity), Max Planck (Planck's constant), and Erwin Schrödinger (Schrödinger's cat). One central person who is male, but I don't remember ever hearing about is James Franck. He was definitely a champion for women's rights, so I'm glad his story also got told in this book.

Having three women whose names start with H was a little difficult to keep straight. The structure of the narrative jumped between the women so sometimes I would forget who had done what. The world of science was small back then and there is a lot of overlap which didn't help. It also made me realize that Campbell used the women's first names but mostly used the men's last names (I've started to really notice this in society today as well during the election as we referred to male candidates by their last names but women by their first name). 

I learned more about Germany in the years leading up to WWII and it was eerie how some of it echoed today's rhetoric. 

Just as Campbell covered the early years of these women's careers before the war, she follows through to the end of their lives, years after the war ended. You get to see the full breadth of their accomplishments and what might have been lost with so many people massacred by the Nazis. 

If you have an interest in WWII, science, gender issues, or social justice, then I recommend getting this book.

Buy Sisters in Science at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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