Rosalind Franklin has always been different from other members of her family - she has created a career for herself in science - a field where women are not known to succeed or be taken seriously. After working at a laboratory in Paris and having to leave due to a broken heart, Rosalind arrives at a laboratory in London and is given a new but important assignment - help break down and find the truth behind DNA.

 

Using her experience with x-ray crystallography skills, she takes repeated pictures of the structure of DNA until she finally takes Photo 51 - the photo that showcases the pure form of DNA - the double helix.  The problem is there are other people who want to beat her to the reveal of the structure of life and they will do anything to make that happen.

 

Despite the fact that she is never given the credit she deserved and others were awarded the Nobel Prize based on her work, Rosalind Franklin never turned away from her love of science - even when it is believed to be the reason behind her death. Rosalind Franklin died of ovarian cancer thought to have been caused by her close working proximity to radiation.

 

I am a huge fan of Marie Benedict and will read any and everything she writes. There is always a large amount of research and care given to each woman's story in order to fully tell their story. I will always recommend a Marie Benedict novel to anyone interested in one.