20181214_214029.jpgHappy New Year, friends!  Today I have a review of The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict, publishing via Sourcebooks Landmark on January 8, 2019! I’ve read all of Marie Benedict’s books, and she continues to write about strong and fascinating women with her latest endeavor.

My Thoughts:

I read and enjoyed Carnegie’s Maid, and I have been looking forward to reading Marie Benedict’s latest fictional portrayal of a strong woman. In this instance, she has written about Hedy (Kiesler) Lamarr. 

Born Jewish, Hedy Kiesler later finds herself an actress married to an Austrian arms dealer. Hedy is able to use her powerful position to avoid Nazi persecution. At the same time, her husband is controlling and difficult, and one evening in 1937, she disguises herself and flees. 

Where does she land? None other than Hollywood, and this is where she becomes the notorious Hedy Lamarr, famous movie star. Not only is Lamarr a stunning and well-loved actress hiding her Jewish heritage, she is also a brilliant scientist with an idea that may save her new country- that is, if anyone will take her seriously. 

I found The Only Woman in the Room to be engrossing and enchanting. Hedy Lamarr is a strong female figure we need to know about, not just for her film legacy, but for her scientific contributions as well. Kudos to Marie Benedict for highlighting an extraordinary woman with a powerfully-written story. Fans of World War II fiction will find much to love in this fascinating story. 

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

She was beautiful. She was a genius. Could the world handle both? A powerful, illuminating novel about Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich’s plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband’s castle.

She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone — if anyone will listen to her. A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication, The Only Woman in the Room is a masterpiece.

Have you read The Only Woman in the Room, or is it on your TBR? Have you read any other books by Marie Benedict? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR