If You Are There

by Susan Sherman

Set in the early 1900s, the novel follows young Lucia Rutkowski who, thanks to the influence of her beloved grandmother, escapes the Warsaw ghetto to work as a kitchen maid in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the bustling city of Paris. Too talented for her lowly position, Lucia is thrown out on the street. Her only recourse is to take a job working for two disorganized, rather poor married scientists so distracted by their work that their house and young child are often neglected. Lucia soon bonds with her eccentric employers, watching as their work with radioactive materials grows increasing noticed by the world, then rising to fame as the great Marie and Pierre Curie.
Soon, all of Paris is alit with the news of an impending visit from Eusapia Palladino, the world's most famous medium. It is through her now famous employers that Lucia attends Eusapia's gatherings and eventually falls under the medium's spell, leaving the Curie household to travel with her to Italy. Ultimately, Lucia is placed directly in the crosshairs of faith versus science -what is more real, the glowing substances of the Curie laboratory or the glowing visions that surround the medium during her seance?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, 20th Century

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Susan Sherman is a former Chairman of the Art Department of Whittier College, a small liberal arts university. She is also the co-creator of “That’s So Raven,”

Chosen for "Great New Reads in Fiction" by People Magazine, Susan Sherman's debut novel, The Little Russian, has garnered starred reviews in Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and has captured the hearts of readers with its tribute to the too-often unsung heroines of history.

Her second book, IF YOU ARE THERE, set in the early 1900's is about a young Polish girl, Lucia Rutkowska, who escapes the textile mills in Warsaw and sets off for Paris to make something of herself. Through a series of bizarre events she finds work in a home run by two scientists consumed by their groundbreaking research, Marie and Pierre Curie. Lucia soon bonds with her eccentric employers, watching as their work with radioactive materials draws interest first from the scientific community and then from the whole world.

Soon, all of Paris is alight with the news of an impending visit from Eusapia Palladino, the world’s most famous medium. Spiritualism and the series of sittings offered by Palladino draw great interest from the Parisian scientific community. It is through her now famous employers that Lucia attends Eusapia’s gatherings and eventually falls under the medium’s spell, leaving the Curie household to travel with her to Italy.

Ultimately, Lucia is placed directly in the cross hairs of faith versus science–which is more real, the glowing substances of the Curie laboratory or the glowing visions that surround the medium during her séance? Lucia’s journey will threaten her faith, her allegiance to the Curies, and her budding love with a muckraking journalist seeking to expose them all. If You Are There is a compelling, page turning novel that draws upon real characters and events to detail its examination of a young woman torn between the beliefs she was born with and the scientific realities blooming all around her.
If You Are There has been named a must read in January by purewow.com and one of the top seven books to read in January by the Chicago Review of Book

Reviews

[Lloyd Russell]

Susan Sherman's book, If You Are There, takes a look at Marie and Pierre Curie through the fictional character of a Polish immigrant, Lucia Rutkowska. It blends science with spiritualism. Is it true that famous scientists in the 1st decade of the 20th century regularly visited mediums and conducted seances? I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing yes. And let me explain the procedure they went through before each seance began. First, if the medium was a woman, another woman would check her clothes and body to make sure that she wasn't hiding anything. Then, during the seance, the persons on the medium's right and left would put their foot on top of the medium's to make sure that she wasn't using her foot in some kind of tricky way. All the while, the scientists would be calling out their observations. And another scientist, designated as the stenographer for the evening, would take notes. I must admit that I have never seen a connection between science and spiritualism before - at least not to this extent.

What it comes down to is stated in the book jacket: "Ultimately, Lucia (the Polish immigrant cook/housekeeper) is placed directly in the crosshairs of faith verses science - what is more real, the glowing substances of the Curie laboratory or the glowing visions that surround the medium during her seance?"

Like The Gentleman of Moscow and here there be dragons, this is definitely a very well-written book. Here are just a couple of passages, after this quote by Henri Poincare (mathematician, physicist, engineer, philosopher) in 1906:

"It matters little what god one believes in: It is the faith and not the god that makes miracles."

"They cut up vegetables, sorted legumes, grated ginger, and chopped garlic, but they never made anything as delicate as a sauce."

"How thrilling this dance was, the choreography of near misses, unintended caresses, and vague possibilities, and how impatient she was for the next one to begin."

I'm a big fan of historical fiction. On the non-fiction side, I enjoyed learning about Maria and Pierre Curie, their scientific experiments, and their lifestyle. It's pretty impressive how Susan learned enough to write about it. On the fiction side, I thought she did a good job of integrating Lucia with the Curies, the famous real-life medium, Eusapia Palladino, and the journalist (with a little bit of romance thrown in). If You Are There is an interesting book. And even though I saw her at her book launch a couple of weeks ago, I'm looking forward to having her at the RBC. I'm sure our members will find her and her book very interesting.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the fictional character as a way to tell the story of the Curies. However, even though dry biographies of Marie and Pierre have been done ad nauseam, I am having trouble finding a good historical fiction novel that uses the Curie's as main characters. For that matter, I am having trouble finding a good biography of Marie that is not meant for high school students.

It's possible I haven't looked hard enough and that I am undervaluing the creativity of this work. But, I really would have preferred if the curies were the main characters in this novel. I do have to say that I quite enjoyed this author's focus on the culture of psychics in the Curies' day.

[Karenclifford61 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitate to give this a 4 (3.5 is probably better) because the plot was a bit light and I didn't understand why so many characters were introduced/described, but were rarely seen again. As a fictional character, Lucia had an abundance of strong qualities (wonderful cook, attractive, adaptable, etc...) and I was expecting a story about her independent spirit, rather than historical fiction which focused on her relationship with employers. Historical fiction included the Curies, spiritual mediums and perhaps early days of journalism, but felt more like name dropping than plot development.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. It was fascinating to read about this time and topic. Lucia Rutkowska leaves poverty and Warsaw Poland. Upon arriving in Paris she finds work in a kitchen. When the Cook becomes jealous, she is forced to find other employment. She works for the Curie's, two very preoccupied and eccentric scientists. From there she blossoms and also faced many doubts. She is deeply religious and finds herself conflicted with what she sees, but at the same time, the Curies give her opportunities that she never would have had. A quick read.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Sherman, your novel was a delight to read. Your Lucia is incredible! The adventures she has are so vivid and real- I was right there with them. I cannot say enough praise for this book. Believe me, I could try... then this review would go on for days with babbles on tangents of each character, setting, and paradoxical problem between the characters. I am dying for a second one already! I want to get to know more about Lucia and Gabriel! Perhaps from his perspective? The chemistry was tangible and where it ended- it saddened my soul. Thank you for your words.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this novel. Sherman's writing draws you into Lucia's world, painted on a gorgeously rendered backdrop of early 20th century europe.

It made me consider how rational, yet imperfect people --Lucia and the Curries -- struggle to distinguish fantasy with reality. Is Eusapia Palladino's performance an illusion? For Madame Curie, why is it so hard to reconcile the observed death of a loved one with her own sense of reality?

[Shelly King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gorgeous! The writing is mesmerizing and sweeps you away to Belle Epoque of Paris. A young Polish girl becomes the cook for the eccentric Curies, scientists on the verge of greatness, and becomes drawn into the mysterious world of seances and spiritualism, much like the Curies themselves. If you love historical fiction, you don't want to miss this one.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. A page turner with great characters set in an exotic time and place. Highly recommend if you like reading historical fiction. I won a free paperback copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway.

[R. C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An original and intriguing novel. Mixing the story of a Polish immigrant to Paris with spiritualism and the scientific world of the Curies. I never quite knew where it was going and felt a bit like the protagonist, a young woman who stood at the outside of so much of the life just beyond her grasp.

[Kindra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all right. I couldn't get into the characters .

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to come. *** Please note I received this book for free from Goodreads First-reads

[Julie Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. The combination of the two stories - the Curies and the psychic - is interesting, though a little confusing in the beginning.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Little Russian by this author, but this novel fell way short of that one.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok. More about the Medium than the Curies.

[Mary Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy and fun read but the world of mediums and seances is not my favorite topic.

[AbcVancleave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out pulling me in, only to lose me to technicalities in names and places.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I got this book for free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.]

This was an extremely well written book, and I should have really enjoyed it.
I can't explain why, but I...didn't.
I didn't DISLIKE it, but I didn't particularly like it, either. I suppose I was very neutral about it.

It felt like a series of lightly connected scenes rather than an overarching plot. Perhaps, as a story of someone's life, that was the intention. I never really felt very...involved, though.

Lucia, the main character...well, the focus of the story, at least, was just not very...relatable, perhaps, is the word? I never really felt like she was a real character - she reacted, rather than interacted.

It also felt to me like it had a very slow buildup, and then everything kind of slowly...tumbled all together at the end? And it kind of just...ended. I wasn't really left with much feeling of a resolution.

Did I enjoy reading this book?
...mostly.

Would I suggest it?
Sure, I suppose?

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads win
This was a good tead. It was a nice chanve than wha I usually read. The writing was good. The chatacters really pulled the story together.