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Adelaide Einstein
Adelaide Binchley is probably the only fortysomething housewife and junior college dropout ever to be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics, and she's certainly the only one whose career was launched by a bedpan. When Addie meets Physics professor Jakob Pankowicz, she discovers that having just one person see a greater potential in her, and believe in her even when she doesn't believe in herself, is all she needs to escape her self-imposed limits. In this hilarious and touching novel, as she navigates the rough territory created by her teenage-feminist daughter, borderline delinquent son, philandering husband, and the friends in her embroidery circle, Addie finds when one person selflessly reaches out to another, that gesture has the power to change the world.
- GenresFiction
310 pages, trade paper
First published January 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
April L. Hamilton
15 books17 followersApril L. Hamilton is a writer and software engineer.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 11, 2008
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Clap your hands and cheer!
At 46, hard working but physically inept Adelaide Binchley is married to a loyal man and the stay-at-home mother of two teenagers. After sacrificing her own education to marry, the high point of her existence seems destined to be the volunteer work she performs - she's a nurse's aide. But when she inadvertently runs a cart filled with soiled bedpans into the chief of surgery, knocking him down and breaking his tailbone - the fifth reportable incident she's caused in the last two months - she suffers the ultimate indignity: she's fired from her volunteer job.
Addie's self esteem is at an all-time low and there's more to come. Patricia, her 16 year-old, will secretly have her genitals pierced and the site will become infected. The director of her son's summer camp is about to call, threatening to sue for damages caused by the boy, who has a decidedly malicious streak, and the reader will soon learn (although she will not) that her husband is sleeping with her best friend.
When she hears that the hospice wing of the hospital desperately needs volunteers, it's the choice of last resort. The next day she enters the wing, where she is almost immediately mistaken for someone else - Jakob's friend - and quickly delivered into the presence of a stranger. His first words, "Ah, my catch of the day," reveal that this is not the first time an innocent passerby has been waylaid to visit him.
The two at first appear to be polar opposites. Jakob is thirty-something and bookish, with brown curly hair and wire-rimmed spectacles. Clearly whatever form of disease he has has taken a toll on him, but Addie sees that he must have been very handsome.
In addition to his charming conversation, Jakob seems to be measuring Addie and liking what he sees. Even though he's a physicist and college professor and she an unsure college dropout, they become fast friends, and when he proves to her that she is fully conversant with both the first and second laws of thermodynamics, then invites her to monitor his introductory physics class, Addie takes the first step in what will prove to be a beautiful and uplifting metamorphosis.
Adelaide Einstein is about opening your eyes to the world, seeing the place you can reach in it, and getting started on the path. Along the way, Addie has some truly exquisite moments. Moments that had me clapping my hands and cheering. This might be an Indie published work, but I tell you it could have been published by any major publisher you'd care to name. April L. Hamilton is an accomplished writer and master of the craft. The evidence is in plain sight on every page of Adelaide Einstein. It's a rewarding and beautiful story. Relative to my other five star reviews, I'd give this one six if I could.
Clap your hands and cheer!
At 46, hard working but physically inept Adelaide Binchley is married to a loyal man and the stay-at-home mother of two teenagers. After sacrificing her own education to marry, the high point of her existence seems destined to be the volunteer work she performs - she's a nurse's aide. But when she inadvertently runs a cart filled with soiled bedpans into the chief of surgery, knocking him down and breaking his tailbone - the fifth reportable incident she's caused in the last two months - she suffers the ultimate indignity: she's fired from her volunteer job.
Addie's self esteem is at an all-time low and there's more to come. Patricia, her 16 year-old, will secretly have her genitals pierced and the site will become infected. The director of her son's summer camp is about to call, threatening to sue for damages caused by the boy, who has a decidedly malicious streak, and the reader will soon learn (although she will not) that her husband is sleeping with her best friend.
When she hears that the hospice wing of the hospital desperately needs volunteers, it's the choice of last resort. The next day she enters the wing, where she is almost immediately mistaken for someone else - Jakob's friend - and quickly delivered into the presence of a stranger. His first words, "Ah, my catch of the day," reveal that this is not the first time an innocent passerby has been waylaid to visit him.
The two at first appear to be polar opposites. Jakob is thirty-something and bookish, with brown curly hair and wire-rimmed spectacles. Clearly whatever form of disease he has has taken a toll on him, but Addie sees that he must have been very handsome.
In addition to his charming conversation, Jakob seems to be measuring Addie and liking what he sees. Even though he's a physicist and college professor and she an unsure college dropout, they become fast friends, and when he proves to her that she is fully conversant with both the first and second laws of thermodynamics, then invites her to monitor his introductory physics class, Addie takes the first step in what will prove to be a beautiful and uplifting metamorphosis.
Adelaide Einstein is about opening your eyes to the world, seeing the place you can reach in it, and getting started on the path. Along the way, Addie has some truly exquisite moments. Moments that had me clapping my hands and cheering. This might be an Indie published work, but I tell you it could have been published by any major publisher you'd care to name. April L. Hamilton is an accomplished writer and master of the craft. The evidence is in plain sight on every page of Adelaide Einstein. It's a rewarding and beautiful story. Relative to my other five star reviews, I'd give this one six if I could.
March 26, 2010
Adelaide Binchley is a California housewife who has just been fired from her volunteer job. To top that off she's gradually lost the respect of her two children and her husband seems only to care about whether or not dinner is served on time. Life changes dramatically for Addie when she meets Jakob Pankowicz, a terminally ill Physics professor. The two form an unlikely friendship as Addie sees Jakob as more than just a cancer patient and he sees her as more than just a wife and mother. In fact, with Jakob's prodding Adelaide goes back to school and finds that someone else seeing potential in her is all the impetus she needs to start actualizing dreams she never knew she had.
Adelaide Einstein is a fabulous book filled with wonderfully believable characters. After just a few chapters I was hooked and found myself so drawn into their lives that the pages flew by as I devoured all their details. I also loved April Hamilton's handling of the science in this book - everything was written in comfortable layman's language but nothing seemed "dumbed down" and it will easily awaken the inner Einstein of any reader.
Best of all, this novel is pure heart. A sort of modern day Fried Green Tomatoes with a smattering of Quantum Physics, Adelaide Einstein is a smart and humorous story of friendship, family, motivation, and the courage to follow the unconventional path.
Adelaide Einstein is a fabulous book filled with wonderfully believable characters. After just a few chapters I was hooked and found myself so drawn into their lives that the pages flew by as I devoured all their details. I also loved April Hamilton's handling of the science in this book - everything was written in comfortable layman's language but nothing seemed "dumbed down" and it will easily awaken the inner Einstein of any reader.
Best of all, this novel is pure heart. A sort of modern day Fried Green Tomatoes with a smattering of Quantum Physics, Adelaide Einstein is a smart and humorous story of friendship, family, motivation, and the courage to follow the unconventional path.
March 20, 2010
This was me in 1981 except for the cheating husband. What a good book!! I went back to school got an AAS BS and went to work for a City where I retired in 2007 or 2008 can't remember retirement has been grand.
This author is on my read again list.
This author is on my read again list.
April 8, 2010
Story of a 40-ish homemaker with kids re-inventing her life and discovering she has a flair for physics. Recommended on Kindle Nation Daily. I enjoyed this although I don't identify with the struggles of a homemaker with kids. It was well written and worthwhile as a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews