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Razboiul lui Hannah
Berlin, 1938. Fiziciană genială, dr. Hannah Weiss este pe cale de a face cea mai mare descoperire a secolului XX: fisiunea atomului. În același timp, înțelege că energia care se eliberează în procesul de fisiune poate să asigure iluminatul unui întreg oraș sau să-l radă de pe fața pământului, dar crede că, prin crearea acestei arme, se va pune capăt războaielor. Hannah este însă o evreică din Germania, care are de înfruntat realitățile celui de-al Treilea Reich, iar cercetarea ei este desconsiderată, trecută cu vederea și, în final, furată de-a dreptul de colegii ei germani. Față în față cu o alegere imposibilă, Hannah trebuie să decidă dacă este de acord să se sacrifice pe altarul științei.
New Mexico, 1945. Reîntors în Statele Unite după eliberarea Parisului, rănit și epuizat, maiorul Jack Delaney ajunge în deșertul din New Mexico având o misiune clară: să prindă un spion. Cineva de la laboratorul strict secret din Los Alamos a transmis ecuații criptate către oamenii de știință ai lui Hitler. Printre suspecții principali ai lui Jack este și talentata și misterioasa Hannah Weiss, o fiziciană exilată, care lucrează în echipa lui J. Robert Oppenheimer. Toate indiciile arată că Hannah ar fi trădătoarea, dar trei zile de interogatorii îl ajută pe Jack să discearnă minciuna de adevăr și să-și dea seama că au mai multe în comun decât s-ar fi așteptat.
Războiul lui Hannah este o poveste de război, dar și una despre loialitate, adevăr și efectele imprevizibile ale unei singure alegeri făcute la un moment dat.
New Mexico, 1945. Reîntors în Statele Unite după eliberarea Parisului, rănit și epuizat, maiorul Jack Delaney ajunge în deșertul din New Mexico având o misiune clară: să prindă un spion. Cineva de la laboratorul strict secret din Los Alamos a transmis ecuații criptate către oamenii de știință ai lui Hitler. Printre suspecții principali ai lui Jack este și talentata și misterioasa Hannah Weiss, o fiziciană exilată, care lucrează în echipa lui J. Robert Oppenheimer. Toate indiciile arată că Hannah ar fi trădătoarea, dar trei zile de interogatorii îl ajută pe Jack să discearnă minciuna de adevăr și să-și dea seama că au mai multe în comun decât s-ar fi așteptat.
Războiul lui Hannah este o poveste de război, dar și una despre loialitate, adevăr și efectele imprevizibile ale unei singure alegeri făcute la un moment dat.
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2020
327 people are currently reading
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About the author
Jan Eliasberg
3 books156 followersJan Eliasberg is an award-winning writer/director with an MFA in Directing from the Yale School of Drama and an MFA in Fiction from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson, where she was mentored by Charles Baxter, Joan Silber and Antonya Nelson. HANNAH'S WAR is her debut novel -- HANNAH'S WAR will be published by Little, Brown on March 3, 2020.
Eliasberg has a notable career as a screenwriter, writing films and television series driven by strong female leads. She wrote W.A.S.P. about the Women Air Service Pilots in WWII for Nicole Kidman and Cameron Diaz at FOX. Mi Corazon was written for Universal, with Jennifer Lopez attached to star. She wrote Heart ‘N Soul, a “hip hop Pygmalion” for Warner Brothers, and The Gemcutter, a YA historical fantasy, for Sony. She is attached to direct all of her original screenplays.
Her screenplay, Heart of the Atom, has been honored by the Black List; the BBC Short List; Film Independent’s prestigious Producers Lab, and the Athena Film Festival’s Best Screenplays about female leaders.
She adapted the screenplay of Heart of the Atom into a novel – now known as Hannah’s War – which was pre-emptively bought by Judy Clain at Little Brown as their lead title for Spring 2020.
Heart of the Atom is the story of a female Austrian physicist working on the critical assemblies team of the Manhattan Project in the alien world of Los Alamos, NM in 1945. She has a hidden past in Germany, one that makes her the prime suspect when an army investigator arrives with a chilling mission: to rout out a spy leaking secrets to the Nazis.
For television, Eliasberg was a writer/producer and director for six seasons of NBC’s Sisters. She wrote Spirit of St. Louis, a pilot for CBS and CBS Studios, and two pilots for Fox and Fox Studios, The Blue Line, with Angela Bassett attached, and Fearless.
Eliasberg is currently in development on her original film, Before I Sleep, with Sophia Lillis (IT, IT 2, NANCY DREW) starring. BEFORE I SLEEP traces the complex and unlikely bonds that develop between two women – an architect, already devastated by the sudden death of her fiancée, whose world implodes when his runaway daughter shows up on her doorstep. Their harrowing journey from Los Angeles to Montana, with a life-threatening detour through Reno, NV, leads them to an unexpected catharsis and liberation. BEFORE I SLEEP is an exploration of loss, grief, love and hope, as seen through a uniquely female point of view.
Eliasberg’s prolific directing career includes the feature film, Past Midnight, starring Paul Giamatti, the late Natasha Richardson, and Rutger Hauer. She is known for nurturing performances in film, television and theatre from some of the finest actors of our generation: among them Michael B. Jordan, Michelle Williams, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, and John Turturro.
Eliasberg was hand picked by Michael Mann to be the first female director of the ground-breaking television series MIAMI VICE, followed by Mann’s critically-acclaimed CRIME STORY. She went on to shatter more glass ceilings as the first female director of the award-winning series WISEGUY, among many others. She has directed dramatic pilots for CBS, NBC, and ABC, as well as countless episodes of television series, including Bull, Nashville, Parenthood, The Magicians, Blue Bloods, NCIS: Los Angeles, Supernatural, and dozens of others. In the course of her career as a director, she has won the EMMY, IMAGEN, and the NAACP IMAGE awards.
Eliasberg received her BA from Wesleyan University, Magna Cum Laude and an MFA in Fiction from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson. She is a graduate of the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women, where she made her short film, The Doctor, which won the “Best Fiction Short Film Award” at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
She has directed theatre at the Royal Court Theatre in London; South Coast Rep; The Manhattan Theatre Club, and The Public Theatre in New York C
Eliasberg has a notable career as a screenwriter, writing films and television series driven by strong female leads. She wrote W.A.S.P. about the Women Air Service Pilots in WWII for Nicole Kidman and Cameron Diaz at FOX. Mi Corazon was written for Universal, with Jennifer Lopez attached to star. She wrote Heart ‘N Soul, a “hip hop Pygmalion” for Warner Brothers, and The Gemcutter, a YA historical fantasy, for Sony. She is attached to direct all of her original screenplays.
Her screenplay, Heart of the Atom, has been honored by the Black List; the BBC Short List; Film Independent’s prestigious Producers Lab, and the Athena Film Festival’s Best Screenplays about female leaders.
She adapted the screenplay of Heart of the Atom into a novel – now known as Hannah’s War – which was pre-emptively bought by Judy Clain at Little Brown as their lead title for Spring 2020.
Heart of the Atom is the story of a female Austrian physicist working on the critical assemblies team of the Manhattan Project in the alien world of Los Alamos, NM in 1945. She has a hidden past in Germany, one that makes her the prime suspect when an army investigator arrives with a chilling mission: to rout out a spy leaking secrets to the Nazis.
For television, Eliasberg was a writer/producer and director for six seasons of NBC’s Sisters. She wrote Spirit of St. Louis, a pilot for CBS and CBS Studios, and two pilots for Fox and Fox Studios, The Blue Line, with Angela Bassett attached, and Fearless.
Eliasberg is currently in development on her original film, Before I Sleep, with Sophia Lillis (IT, IT 2, NANCY DREW) starring. BEFORE I SLEEP traces the complex and unlikely bonds that develop between two women – an architect, already devastated by the sudden death of her fiancée, whose world implodes when his runaway daughter shows up on her doorstep. Their harrowing journey from Los Angeles to Montana, with a life-threatening detour through Reno, NV, leads them to an unexpected catharsis and liberation. BEFORE I SLEEP is an exploration of loss, grief, love and hope, as seen through a uniquely female point of view.
Eliasberg’s prolific directing career includes the feature film, Past Midnight, starring Paul Giamatti, the late Natasha Richardson, and Rutger Hauer. She is known for nurturing performances in film, television and theatre from some of the finest actors of our generation: among them Michael B. Jordan, Michelle Williams, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, and John Turturro.
Eliasberg was hand picked by Michael Mann to be the first female director of the ground-breaking television series MIAMI VICE, followed by Mann’s critically-acclaimed CRIME STORY. She went on to shatter more glass ceilings as the first female director of the award-winning series WISEGUY, among many others. She has directed dramatic pilots for CBS, NBC, and ABC, as well as countless episodes of television series, including Bull, Nashville, Parenthood, The Magicians, Blue Bloods, NCIS: Los Angeles, Supernatural, and dozens of others. In the course of her career as a director, she has won the EMMY, IMAGEN, and the NAACP IMAGE awards.
Eliasberg received her BA from Wesleyan University, Magna Cum Laude and an MFA in Fiction from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson. She is a graduate of the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women, where she made her short film, The Doctor, which won the “Best Fiction Short Film Award” at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
She has directed theatre at the Royal Court Theatre in London; South Coast Rep; The Manhattan Theatre Club, and The Public Theatre in New York C
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 570 reviews
January 24, 2020
Even though this historical fiction book is more imaginative than fact based, I still thought it was a worthwhile read. The story revolved around the making of the atomic bomb and essentially which country's scientists were going to be the first ones to successfully pull it off. It was a fascinating read as the story did explore a bit of the science behind it but also what it might have been like to work on a project of this magnitude.
It's 1945 and Major Jack Delaney has been sent to a top-secret nuclear lab in New Mexico. His mission is to figure out if one of the people working on the atomic bomb is actually a spy and is slipping secrets about the project to the Germans. Dr. Hannah Weiss is a physicist working on J. Robert Oppenheimer's team and Jack suspects she is the traitor. The story switches back and forth between the perspectives of Jack and Hannah and takes place in 1945 in the United States as well as the late 1930s when Hannah was living and working in Germany.
Hannah is a fictional character but you could say she was inspired by Dr. Lisa Meitner. Lisa was part of a small team of scientists that helped discover nuclear fission of uranium. Most people feel she did not get nearly enough credit for her contributions, most likely because she was a woman. Major Jack Delaney is also a product of the author's imagination. However, I truly feel like Hannah and Jack served a purpose and the author did a good job in coming up with a story that felt realistic. Hannah in particular was a fascinating character. One of the things I thought the author did really well was showing what it would have been like for a female scientist back then and how she wouldn't have gotten the same level of respect as her male colleagues. The story also brought up many of the things a Jewish person would have faced both living in Germany as well as in the United States. And of course the making of a nuclear weapon and how that brings up ethical issues was also touched on in the book.
My main issue with the book is I thought the transitions at times were clunky and led to an uneven reading experience. It's almost like I had to take a moment at the beginning of each chapter to figure out what year it was as well as who was the narrator. I think it would have helped tremendously if the year was noted at the start of each chapter like in so many other books that feature alternating timelines and characters.
Given the title, it's not a huge shocker Hannah is the main focus of the story. Paul wasn't a well-developed character until very far into the book when you got to learn more about his life prior to coming to New Mexico. I do wish it hadn't taken so long to feel like he was contributing something worthwhile to the story.
Overall, I do recommend reading this one if you enjoy historical fiction about World War 2. I've read at least 100 or so books about WW2 over the years, and I'm impressed the author was able to create a story that felt unique to the genre.
I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It's 1945 and Major Jack Delaney has been sent to a top-secret nuclear lab in New Mexico. His mission is to figure out if one of the people working on the atomic bomb is actually a spy and is slipping secrets about the project to the Germans. Dr. Hannah Weiss is a physicist working on J. Robert Oppenheimer's team and Jack suspects she is the traitor. The story switches back and forth between the perspectives of Jack and Hannah and takes place in 1945 in the United States as well as the late 1930s when Hannah was living and working in Germany.
Hannah is a fictional character but you could say she was inspired by Dr. Lisa Meitner. Lisa was part of a small team of scientists that helped discover nuclear fission of uranium. Most people feel she did not get nearly enough credit for her contributions, most likely because she was a woman. Major Jack Delaney is also a product of the author's imagination. However, I truly feel like Hannah and Jack served a purpose and the author did a good job in coming up with a story that felt realistic. Hannah in particular was a fascinating character. One of the things I thought the author did really well was showing what it would have been like for a female scientist back then and how she wouldn't have gotten the same level of respect as her male colleagues. The story also brought up many of the things a Jewish person would have faced both living in Germany as well as in the United States. And of course the making of a nuclear weapon and how that brings up ethical issues was also touched on in the book.
My main issue with the book is I thought the transitions at times were clunky and led to an uneven reading experience. It's almost like I had to take a moment at the beginning of each chapter to figure out what year it was as well as who was the narrator. I think it would have helped tremendously if the year was noted at the start of each chapter like in so many other books that feature alternating timelines and characters.
Given the title, it's not a huge shocker Hannah is the main focus of the story. Paul wasn't a well-developed character until very far into the book when you got to learn more about his life prior to coming to New Mexico. I do wish it hadn't taken so long to feel like he was contributing something worthwhile to the story.
Overall, I do recommend reading this one if you enjoy historical fiction about World War 2. I've read at least 100 or so books about WW2 over the years, and I'm impressed the author was able to create a story that felt unique to the genre.
I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2019
Read this one for a cover quote, and loved it. My quote:
HANNAH'S WAR is a gripping cat-and-mouse tale of love, war, deception, and espionage you won't be able to put down. As Hitler's star rises in Germany, brilliant physicist Hannah Weiss is on the cusp of cracking critical atomic secrets, but a Jewish female scientist has no place in the new order. When Hannah escapes overseas into the pressure cooker of the American atom bomb project, a suspicious young CIA agent comes to investigate the ties that still bind her to Berlin...but who is interrogating whom? Jan Eliasberg elevates a mesmerizing spy thriller with her clear, fierce admiration for the women of the past who refused to be edged out of the world of scientific discovery, and I loved every page.
HANNAH'S WAR is a gripping cat-and-mouse tale of love, war, deception, and espionage you won't be able to put down. As Hitler's star rises in Germany, brilliant physicist Hannah Weiss is on the cusp of cracking critical atomic secrets, but a Jewish female scientist has no place in the new order. When Hannah escapes overseas into the pressure cooker of the American atom bomb project, a suspicious young CIA agent comes to investigate the ties that still bind her to Berlin...but who is interrogating whom? Jan Eliasberg elevates a mesmerizing spy thriller with her clear, fierce admiration for the women of the past who refused to be edged out of the world of scientific discovery, and I loved every page.
May 16, 2020
As a female Jewish scientist under the Third Reich, Dr. Hannah Weiss struggled personally and professionally with her ideas belittled, stolen, and twisted. On the verge of a major breakthrough in atomic physics, in 1938 she was driven out of Berlin as she became increasingly aware of the true nature of the new regime. Dr. Hannah Weiss, a brilliant Austrian physicist, immigrated to the United States to work on the Manhattan Project under Dr. Oppenheimer. Their task at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico was to finish first in the global race to split the atom. As with many discoveries, Hannah realizes she can contribute to changing the world - either for peace or for war. Does she really know which side she’s on?
Jack Delaney arrives in New Mexico in 1945 on a mission after the liberation of Paris leaves him wounded. He’s tasked with flushing out a spy in the nuclear lab who has been sending encrypted messages to German scientists. Jack’s top suspect is Hannah Weiss after a series of encoded postcards are found in her possession. Through several days of interrogation, Jack learns of Hannah’s complicated relationships with her colleagues at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and of her certain charm.
Jan Eliasberg delivers a compelling tale of historical fiction in her first novel. During a complex moment in America’s history, this story touches on the difficulties Jewish immigrants faced when coming to America and the future era of the Red Scare. Combining war-time fiction, mystery, and a complicated romance, Hannah’s War takes a look into the ethics of science in a tense time of history.
Jack Delaney arrives in New Mexico in 1945 on a mission after the liberation of Paris leaves him wounded. He’s tasked with flushing out a spy in the nuclear lab who has been sending encrypted messages to German scientists. Jack’s top suspect is Hannah Weiss after a series of encoded postcards are found in her possession. Through several days of interrogation, Jack learns of Hannah’s complicated relationships with her colleagues at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and of her certain charm.
Jan Eliasberg delivers a compelling tale of historical fiction in her first novel. During a complex moment in America’s history, this story touches on the difficulties Jewish immigrants faced when coming to America and the future era of the Red Scare. Combining war-time fiction, mystery, and a complicated romance, Hannah’s War takes a look into the ethics of science in a tense time of history.
April 9, 2020
When Smiles Fade
This is a fictionalized story of Austrian physicist Lise Meitner who discovered nuclear fission that paved the way for power generators using nuclear fuels. Part of the story is actual, and the rest is created by the author.
Hannah Weiss was a professionally battered woman who was treated unfairly in academic world because of her gender and Jewish faith in pre-WWII Germany. Deeply hurt by the rising power of the Third Reich and the impact it had on her life, she migrates to United States to work in the Manhattan Project. Robert Oppenheimer (Oppie), the director of the project trying to develop atomic bomb at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico becomes her supervisor. Shortly after coming on board, the mission suspects that Hannah is providing highly sensitive information related to atomic bombs to Nazi Germany. An investigation led by Major Jack Delaney believes that she is a traitor; the evidence on hand are some coded post cards she mailed to her colleague in Germany. Over three days of interrogation, Jack discovers Hannah is not only a brilliant scientist but also a mysterious, lonely, somewhat fragile, and sensual woman who can tease a major general of the U.S. Army. Delaney, himself a Jew goes by an Irish name that hides his identity for personal reasons. He fails to understand the harsh environment of antisemitism in her native Austria and Germany. The author cleverly creates situations for Hannah where she manipulates and seduce Jack. Jack begins to believe that Hannah is innocent, and he sees the feminine side of a lonely woman in male dominated profession. Their love does not go far enough, and it does not end in a relationship, but the author cleverly handles this at the end, but the ending will not be the same as many readers would guess. The author doesn't even give Hannah a night of intimacy and sybaritic eroticism with Jack who becomes her closest friend spiritually.
One of the moral questions is the focus on the treatment of Jews by United States during WWII. If the author is so genuine, why would she create a story where Hannah already suffered greatly in her life is subject to further humiliation that tarnishes the image of Lise Meitner? Despite these observations, I like the style of author’s writing. and strongly recommend reading chapters, 18, 23, 25, 27, 33, 35, and 38 (chapter #s from proof made from author’s manuscript) that narrates the progression of Jack’s feelings for Hannah.
An historical perspective to this book must be in order since the focus of this book is Lise Meitner fictionalized by the author as Hannah Weiss. Albert Einstein first wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt a letter of caution after the publication of Lise Meitner and Otto Hahn paper about nuclear fission that would enable Hitler’s Germany to make an atomic weapon. This ultimately led to the establishment of the Manhattan Project in 1942. Meitner in real life refused an offer to work on the project declaring that she will have nothing to do with a bomb. She was also horrified to learn that it was used on Hiroshima. In fact, she was a leading physicist with Einstein to oppose making atomic weapons.
Otto Hahn alone was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of nuclear fission. Meitner was deeply hurt, and this injustice by the Nobel Committee has been wildly criticized in the academic world for decades. In 1945, when she was recognized in America for her accomplishments, she dined with President Harry Truman, who at a dinner for the Women’s Press Club honoring Meitner’s accomplishments remarked, “So you’re the little lady who got us into all of this!” Yet despite misleading press reports and President Truman’s misperceptions, Meitner never worked on the Manhattan project. She never married and had no children. If a major university in United States had offered her an academic position, she probably would have worked tirelessly to promote physics and science education among women. She would have been a champion to encourage women to study physics.
This is a fictionalized story of Austrian physicist Lise Meitner who discovered nuclear fission that paved the way for power generators using nuclear fuels. Part of the story is actual, and the rest is created by the author.
Hannah Weiss was a professionally battered woman who was treated unfairly in academic world because of her gender and Jewish faith in pre-WWII Germany. Deeply hurt by the rising power of the Third Reich and the impact it had on her life, she migrates to United States to work in the Manhattan Project. Robert Oppenheimer (Oppie), the director of the project trying to develop atomic bomb at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico becomes her supervisor. Shortly after coming on board, the mission suspects that Hannah is providing highly sensitive information related to atomic bombs to Nazi Germany. An investigation led by Major Jack Delaney believes that she is a traitor; the evidence on hand are some coded post cards she mailed to her colleague in Germany. Over three days of interrogation, Jack discovers Hannah is not only a brilliant scientist but also a mysterious, lonely, somewhat fragile, and sensual woman who can tease a major general of the U.S. Army. Delaney, himself a Jew goes by an Irish name that hides his identity for personal reasons. He fails to understand the harsh environment of antisemitism in her native Austria and Germany. The author cleverly creates situations for Hannah where she manipulates and seduce Jack. Jack begins to believe that Hannah is innocent, and he sees the feminine side of a lonely woman in male dominated profession. Their love does not go far enough, and it does not end in a relationship, but the author cleverly handles this at the end, but the ending will not be the same as many readers would guess. The author doesn't even give Hannah a night of intimacy and sybaritic eroticism with Jack who becomes her closest friend spiritually.
One of the moral questions is the focus on the treatment of Jews by United States during WWII. If the author is so genuine, why would she create a story where Hannah already suffered greatly in her life is subject to further humiliation that tarnishes the image of Lise Meitner? Despite these observations, I like the style of author’s writing. and strongly recommend reading chapters, 18, 23, 25, 27, 33, 35, and 38 (chapter #s from proof made from author’s manuscript) that narrates the progression of Jack’s feelings for Hannah.
An historical perspective to this book must be in order since the focus of this book is Lise Meitner fictionalized by the author as Hannah Weiss. Albert Einstein first wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt a letter of caution after the publication of Lise Meitner and Otto Hahn paper about nuclear fission that would enable Hitler’s Germany to make an atomic weapon. This ultimately led to the establishment of the Manhattan Project in 1942. Meitner in real life refused an offer to work on the project declaring that she will have nothing to do with a bomb. She was also horrified to learn that it was used on Hiroshima. In fact, she was a leading physicist with Einstein to oppose making atomic weapons.
Otto Hahn alone was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of nuclear fission. Meitner was deeply hurt, and this injustice by the Nobel Committee has been wildly criticized in the academic world for decades. In 1945, when she was recognized in America for her accomplishments, she dined with President Harry Truman, who at a dinner for the Women’s Press Club honoring Meitner’s accomplishments remarked, “So you’re the little lady who got us into all of this!” Yet despite misleading press reports and President Truman’s misperceptions, Meitner never worked on the Manhattan project. She never married and had no children. If a major university in United States had offered her an academic position, she probably would have worked tirelessly to promote physics and science education among women. She would have been a champion to encourage women to study physics.
February 27, 2020
Fascinating, pacey, and engaging!
Hannah’s War is an intriguing story that sweeps you away to Los Alamos, New Mexico in the final days of WWII where a female Jewish physicist is on the cusp of making history in a field dominated by men, the race to develop the first nuclear weapon is well and truly underway, and the search and investigation of potential Nazi spies is top priority.
The prose is atmospheric and descriptive. The characters are intelligent, passionate, anxious, and driven. And the plot is an entertaining tale about life, love, friendship, survival, tragedy, war, romance, loyalty, subterfuge, and the development of nuclear fusion.
Overall, Hannah’s War is a well-written, compelling debut by Eliasberg that incorporates a nice mix of real-life historical figures, insightful information, and plausible fiction in a tale loosely based on the brilliant accomplishments of Dr. Lise Meitner.
Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hannah’s War is an intriguing story that sweeps you away to Los Alamos, New Mexico in the final days of WWII where a female Jewish physicist is on the cusp of making history in a field dominated by men, the race to develop the first nuclear weapon is well and truly underway, and the search and investigation of potential Nazi spies is top priority.
The prose is atmospheric and descriptive. The characters are intelligent, passionate, anxious, and driven. And the plot is an entertaining tale about life, love, friendship, survival, tragedy, war, romance, loyalty, subterfuge, and the development of nuclear fusion.
Overall, Hannah’s War is a well-written, compelling debut by Eliasberg that incorporates a nice mix of real-life historical figures, insightful information, and plausible fiction in a tale loosely based on the brilliant accomplishments of Dr. Lise Meitner.
Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2023
Dr Hannah Weiss, an Austrian Jew who escaped from Nazi Germany, loves her work in science but has ethical concerns about the atomic bomb being developed in 1945 Los Alamos. A petition had been circulated about the danger of the weapon, leading the OSS to send investigators to determine if information was being leaked to the Nazis. Major Jack Delaney was sent to interrogate Hannah, and she finds that he is also hiding secrets about his past.
The story switches from Los Alamos, New Mexico to Nazi Germany in flashbacks. Hannah had not received the recognition she deserved in Germany before she defected because she was a woman and a Jew.
The book is a riveting story written by screenwriter Jan Eliasberg, and would be a wonderful film. Hannah and Jack are playing a cat and mouse game as secrets about their identities are slowly revealed, and they try to ignore their mutual attraction. Although the two main characters are fictional, there are real supporting characters such as Dr J. Robert Oppenheimer. "Hannah's War" is a page-turner about the race to build the bomb, and the hope that it would never have to be used.
The story switches from Los Alamos, New Mexico to Nazi Germany in flashbacks. Hannah had not received the recognition she deserved in Germany before she defected because she was a woman and a Jew.
The book is a riveting story written by screenwriter Jan Eliasberg, and would be a wonderful film. Hannah and Jack are playing a cat and mouse game as secrets about their identities are slowly revealed, and they try to ignore their mutual attraction. Although the two main characters are fictional, there are real supporting characters such as Dr J. Robert Oppenheimer. "Hannah's War" is a page-turner about the race to build the bomb, and the hope that it would never have to be used.
September 15, 2021
It's evident that Jan Eliasberg works heavily in film and television. This being her debut novel, she did quite a good job of setting the scene, moving between the characters, and writing engaging, quick dialogue. I do think, however, there was some depth missing because of this cinematic quality. At times the characters felt a bit shallow and were performing rather than existing as fully-formed human beings.
I also didn't love the romantic subplots in this book. If Eliasberg is aiming to write about the forgotten women of history through Hannah Weiss (who is based on the real woman, Lise Meitner) and her story, then I felt the focus was shifted away from her actual work and, at times, more focused on her romantic life and how that impacted history. I don't know how much of that was based on Meitner's story IRL but that romantic subplot, especially in the present day timeline of this book, felt like something you'd add to a movie to make it more commercially appealing to audiences. I don't look for that nor want it in my fiction, but that's just a personal preference.
Overall, this was a quick, interesting read that made me consider the history behind the Atomic Bomb as well as the many ways that certain figures are erased from history because of prejudice or telling a more neat and tidy story.
I also didn't love the romantic subplots in this book. If Eliasberg is aiming to write about the forgotten women of history through Hannah Weiss (who is based on the real woman, Lise Meitner) and her story, then I felt the focus was shifted away from her actual work and, at times, more focused on her romantic life and how that impacted history. I don't know how much of that was based on Meitner's story IRL but that romantic subplot, especially in the present day timeline of this book, felt like something you'd add to a movie to make it more commercially appealing to audiences. I don't look for that nor want it in my fiction, but that's just a personal preference.
Overall, this was a quick, interesting read that made me consider the history behind the Atomic Bomb as well as the many ways that certain figures are erased from history because of prejudice or telling a more neat and tidy story.
February 20, 2020
I received a free publisher's advance review copy.
According to Eliasberg, this novel was inspired by a little-known historical fact: that among the three Nazi-era scientists in Berlin who first discovered the secret of nuclear fission, one was a brilliant Jewish woman named Lise Meitner. According to a New York Times story published on August 7,1945 (the day American forces dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima), Meitner brought this secret to the Allies. Eliasberg wanted to write about Meitner and about a further mystery: if German scientists were the first to discover nuclear fission, why did the Nazis never develop a nuclear device?
Though Meitner is the inspiration for this novel, Eliasberg makes it clear that everything in it is imagined. And certainly if you spend a little time with Meitner’s Wikipedia entry, that is very clear.
Eliasberg has Meitner in the US during the war, working at Los Alamos with the team of scientists under J. Robert Oppenheimer who developed the nuclear bomb. (In real life, Meitner lived in Sweden and England after fleeing Germany in 1938, and refused an invitation to work with the Los Alamos team.) The plot is set in motion when intelligence officer Major Jack Delaney is sent to Los Alamos to determine which scientist is sending coded information to a contact in Switzerland; information that may be intended to help German scientists with their nuclear project.
Delaney quickly comes to suspect Meitner, and a cat-and-mouse sort of interrogation takes place over a few days. Meitner tells him of her experiences in Berlin, through which we learn her back story, including not only her work, but also her family and love life. Meitner is a sort of Scheherazade with her stories, mesmerizing Delaney against his will, attracting him to her and, at the same time, drawing out secrets that could jeopardize his career.
I have mixed feelings about this novel, as I too often do with historical fiction featuring female protagonists. On the one hand, it’s an engaging tale, with good pacing and interesting characters.
On the other hand, why do female-centric historical novels always have to be so romance-y? Think of it this way: if Meitner had been a male Jewish scientist who escaped from Nazi Germany and got the secret of nuclear fission to the Allies, what kind of a novel would you expect to read with that character as the launching point? It would be an adventure or espionage-oriented tale, right? Maybe some sex and/or romance would be thrown in, but the primary tone would be the adventure/espionage.
I’m annoyed by the implicit assumption that a woman’s story has to be focused on her romantic relationships, while a man’s doesn’t. And especially in this case, because from what I’ve read about Lise Meitner, her life was absolutely nothing like her namesake in this book, but it was compelling just the same.
According to Eliasberg, this novel was inspired by a little-known historical fact: that among the three Nazi-era scientists in Berlin who first discovered the secret of nuclear fission, one was a brilliant Jewish woman named Lise Meitner. According to a New York Times story published on August 7,1945 (the day American forces dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima), Meitner brought this secret to the Allies. Eliasberg wanted to write about Meitner and about a further mystery: if German scientists were the first to discover nuclear fission, why did the Nazis never develop a nuclear device?
Though Meitner is the inspiration for this novel, Eliasberg makes it clear that everything in it is imagined. And certainly if you spend a little time with Meitner’s Wikipedia entry, that is very clear.
Eliasberg has Meitner in the US during the war, working at Los Alamos with the team of scientists under J. Robert Oppenheimer who developed the nuclear bomb. (In real life, Meitner lived in Sweden and England after fleeing Germany in 1938, and refused an invitation to work with the Los Alamos team.) The plot is set in motion when intelligence officer Major Jack Delaney is sent to Los Alamos to determine which scientist is sending coded information to a contact in Switzerland; information that may be intended to help German scientists with their nuclear project.
Delaney quickly comes to suspect Meitner, and a cat-and-mouse sort of interrogation takes place over a few days. Meitner tells him of her experiences in Berlin, through which we learn her back story, including not only her work, but also her family and love life. Meitner is a sort of Scheherazade with her stories, mesmerizing Delaney against his will, attracting him to her and, at the same time, drawing out secrets that could jeopardize his career.
I have mixed feelings about this novel, as I too often do with historical fiction featuring female protagonists. On the one hand, it’s an engaging tale, with good pacing and interesting characters.
On the other hand, why do female-centric historical novels always have to be so romance-y? Think of it this way: if Meitner had been a male Jewish scientist who escaped from Nazi Germany and got the secret of nuclear fission to the Allies, what kind of a novel would you expect to read with that character as the launching point? It would be an adventure or espionage-oriented tale, right? Maybe some sex and/or romance would be thrown in, but the primary tone would be the adventure/espionage.
I’m annoyed by the implicit assumption that a woman’s story has to be focused on her romantic relationships, while a man’s doesn’t. And especially in this case, because from what I’ve read about Lise Meitner, her life was absolutely nothing like her namesake in this book, but it was compelling just the same.
May 2, 2020
A Jewish nuclear physicist, Dr Hannah Weiss is accused of spying for the Nazis while working on the nuclear bomb in Los Alamos and is investigated by Maj. Jack Delaney. As we are taken through the investigation and interrogation of Hannah, flashbacks from her life in 1938 may hold the key to her true motives.
I had just sworn off reading anymore WWII fiction for the rest of 2020 and then I spotted this on display in the store. What instantly captured my attention was a setting that was totally different than any I had ever read. The testing of the bomb that would eventually be dropped on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Author Jan Eliasberg gives us a historically rich spy thriller with flawed characters like Hannah and Jack. The whole story certainly had a cinematic atmosphere that kept me reading.
Hannah Weiss is a fictional character based on real life physicist, Dr. Lise Meitner. Seeing the story through the eyes of female scientist definitely gives a fresh perspective to this period of time. I am going ahead and claiming that this is a a favorite of 2020.
Goodreads review published 02/05/20
I had just sworn off reading anymore WWII fiction for the rest of 2020 and then I spotted this on display in the store. What instantly captured my attention was a setting that was totally different than any I had ever read. The testing of the bomb that would eventually be dropped on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Author Jan Eliasberg gives us a historically rich spy thriller with flawed characters like Hannah and Jack. The whole story certainly had a cinematic atmosphere that kept me reading.
Hannah Weiss is a fictional character based on real life physicist, Dr. Lise Meitner. Seeing the story through the eyes of female scientist definitely gives a fresh perspective to this period of time. I am going ahead and claiming that this is a a favorite of 2020.
Goodreads review published 02/05/20
February 1, 2024
3.5 / 5
I bought this book because the title interested me and I thought the cover was really pretty, also it was a very good price on Amazon.
Our heroine is Dr. Hannah Weiss a brilliant German Jewish scientist who is every bit as smart as the male scientists but when Nobel prizes are awarded she is not recognized along with the man who could not have accomplished what he did without her.
Much of the book is centered on the creation of the atomic bomb (the Manhattan Project) and takes place at Los Alamos where we also find J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Major Jack Delaney has been sent to Los Alamos to ferret out someone who is suspected of sending coded secrets about the project back to the Nazis. Dr. Weiss is his most probable suspect.
The scientific jargon is way beyond me but not so much that I couldn’t make sense of the story. The author has introduced some personal relationships that are obviously for adding some meat to what otherwise could be a very dry read.
I mostly enjoyed this book because the author tells us in her Author’s Notes that her female protagonist is based on the very real brilliant Jewish physicist Lise Meitner. There is much to learn about Meitner on Wiki and you will find that much of the story in this book is fiction. Having said that I found the book a very good read...keeping in mind it is hictorical fiction!
I bought this book because the title interested me and I thought the cover was really pretty, also it was a very good price on Amazon.
Our heroine is Dr. Hannah Weiss a brilliant German Jewish scientist who is every bit as smart as the male scientists but when Nobel prizes are awarded she is not recognized along with the man who could not have accomplished what he did without her.
Much of the book is centered on the creation of the atomic bomb (the Manhattan Project) and takes place at Los Alamos where we also find J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Major Jack Delaney has been sent to Los Alamos to ferret out someone who is suspected of sending coded secrets about the project back to the Nazis. Dr. Weiss is his most probable suspect.
The scientific jargon is way beyond me but not so much that I couldn’t make sense of the story. The author has introduced some personal relationships that are obviously for adding some meat to what otherwise could be a very dry read.
I mostly enjoyed this book because the author tells us in her Author’s Notes that her female protagonist is based on the very real brilliant Jewish physicist Lise Meitner. There is much to learn about Meitner on Wiki and you will find that much of the story in this book is fiction. Having said that I found the book a very good read...keeping in mind it is hictorical fiction!
April 9, 2023
Set during World War II, Hannah’s War tells the story of Hannah Weiss, a brilliant Jewish physicist who has fled Nazi Germany and is now working on the Manhattan Project in the United States. When a fellow scientist is murdered and a valuable prototype of an atomic bomb is stolen, Hannah becomes the prime suspect, leading her to go on the run in order to clear her name and stop the bomb from falling into the wrong hands.
Wanted to love this story but I struggled to get through it. The characters are flat, the story jumped back and forth in time and between characters which they didn’t say so you’re always trying to figure out what was going on. Although an interesting topic loosely based on history there was a lot of science and technology throughout. Definitely a slow read with a chick-lit twist going on as well. Hannah’s story is intriguing and what she did to survive a boys world and the war is what made me keep reading. This could have been better. Not terrible just not for me.
2 1/2 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rounded up.
Wanted to love this story but I struggled to get through it. The characters are flat, the story jumped back and forth in time and between characters which they didn’t say so you’re always trying to figure out what was going on. Although an interesting topic loosely based on history there was a lot of science and technology throughout. Definitely a slow read with a chick-lit twist going on as well. Hannah’s story is intriguing and what she did to survive a boys world and the war is what made me keep reading. This could have been better. Not terrible just not for me.
2 1/2 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rounded up.
March 12, 2021
Translation widget on The blog!!!
O poveste dură, despre lupta de gherilă din spatele celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial. Despre asuprirea evreilor, despre toate umilințele și abuzurile suportate de aceștia. O poveste absolut captivantă, despre spionaj, iubire, integritate, pasiunea pentru știință și binele omenirii.
Jan Eliasberg a reușit să creeze un roman ce taie respirația și pe care nu îl poți lăsa din mână până nu ajungi la final.
Spionaj și contraspionaj, comploturi care au la bază dorința de a fii primul, de grandoare, nepăsarea față de durerea și suferința altora. Cu toate acestea ne intersectăm pe parcursul romanului, ca să nu mai pomenim de discriminările religioase sau de sex.
Un roman care îmbină suspansul cu romantismul intr-un labirint în care fiecare fundătură poate însemna moartea.
Recenzia mea completă o găsiți aici:
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/raz...
O poveste dură, despre lupta de gherilă din spatele celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial. Despre asuprirea evreilor, despre toate umilințele și abuzurile suportate de aceștia. O poveste absolut captivantă, despre spionaj, iubire, integritate, pasiunea pentru știință și binele omenirii.
Jan Eliasberg a reușit să creeze un roman ce taie respirația și pe care nu îl poți lăsa din mână până nu ajungi la final.
Spionaj și contraspionaj, comploturi care au la bază dorința de a fii primul, de grandoare, nepăsarea față de durerea și suferința altora. Cu toate acestea ne intersectăm pe parcursul romanului, ca să nu mai pomenim de discriminările religioase sau de sex.
Un roman care îmbină suspansul cu romantismul intr-un labirint în care fiecare fundătură poate însemna moartea.
Recenzia mea completă o găsiți aici:
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/raz...
February 5, 2020
“Hannah’s War”, by Jan Eliasberg, would make a marvelous movie or limited series! Fast-paced, a An Atomic Bomb! The fact that Elisaberg is a highly successful screenwriter/director is apparent from the first page. “Hannah’s War” is quite a ride! (And It comes with a Reader’s Guide which is always useful for Book Clubs.)
On the first page, Hannah is being taken to prison for treason. The central question of the novel that will have the reader wondering to the very end is: was Hannah “blinded by love” into compromising scientific secrets to the Germans?
Eliasberg draws comparisons between the development of the Atomic Bomb, and Goethe’s tale of “Faust”. Dr. Faust sold his soul to the Devil; did the Manhattan Project scientists do the same? Was using Fat Man and Little Boy always inevitable? We will never know what FDR would have done, verses what Truman decided to do; it’s an interesting thought exercise and discussion point.
Fast-paced, cinema-graphic, “Hannah’s War”, is a novel for those of us who never tire of stories about WWII, especially from a female point of view.
On the first page, Hannah is being taken to prison for treason. The central question of the novel that will have the reader wondering to the very end is: was Hannah “blinded by love” into compromising scientific secrets to the Germans?
Eliasberg draws comparisons between the development of the Atomic Bomb, and Goethe’s tale of “Faust”. Dr. Faust sold his soul to the Devil; did the Manhattan Project scientists do the same? Was using Fat Man and Little Boy always inevitable? We will never know what FDR would have done, verses what Truman decided to do; it’s an interesting thought exercise and discussion point.
Fast-paced, cinema-graphic, “Hannah’s War”, is a novel for those of us who never tire of stories about WWII, especially from a female point of view.
November 21, 2024
This is a historical fiction tale (somewhat based on a real person) that is a gripping cat-and-mouse tale of love, war, deception, and espionage.
What makes this story intriguing is that it sweeps you away to Los Alamos, New Mexico in the final days of WWII where a female Jewish physicist is on the cusp of making history in a field dominated by men.
They are in a race to develop the first nuclear weapon and at the same time on the search for potential Nazi spies.
We kind of know what happens with that first nuclear bomb, but behind the scenes, from a fictionalized point of view, with some real personalities showing up, makes it kind of interesting.
What makes this story intriguing is that it sweeps you away to Los Alamos, New Mexico in the final days of WWII where a female Jewish physicist is on the cusp of making history in a field dominated by men.
They are in a race to develop the first nuclear weapon and at the same time on the search for potential Nazi spies.
We kind of know what happens with that first nuclear bomb, but behind the scenes, from a fictionalized point of view, with some real personalities showing up, makes it kind of interesting.
July 2, 2022
I read this novel because I knew I was going to be touring Los Alamos (and of course I wanted to touch up on my history through historical fiction!). This was a wonderful, fast paced story of a female European physicist, who winds up at Los Alamos working with Robert Oppenheimer (on the development of the atomic bomb). She is a very well drawn character, who is based on an historical woman. Our heroine is focused on science to the exclusion of most other things. We see her as a child, as a physicist working in Berlin under Hitler and as a part of the group of Los Alamos physicists. While in the United States, as an Austrian who has worked for the Germans, she is, of course, under suspicion. The concern that she is disclosing American scientific secrets powers the plot of the story. But there is much more. We feel the devastating effects of the war on her life in Europe (she is Jewish). We all see the pull and tug of all those involved in the Los Alamos project - scientists vs each other, scientists vs the US military, and intelligence agents vs everyone. There is also a romantic theme, which I felt was the weakest part of the story - but certainly worked very well in the context of the novel. This is is a good read - particularly if you are interested in what happened at Los Alamos.
October 19, 2020
A dnf but I will rate it, got about two-thirds in and got so unnerved by a plot development I closed the book and set it aside. (This book was given to me by a friend who won it.)
The story of Hannah Weiss, a talented scientist, who during WW2 is working with Oppenheimer in New Mexico on 'the bomb.' She's female; she's Jewish. She's brilliant but didn't I say she's female? So she's often overlooked, used only for her intellect and insight while all the 'glory' or praise goes to the men. Yep, this has changed somewhat over the last 60 years, but not enough.
Two stars, a dnf.
The story of Hannah Weiss, a talented scientist, who during WW2 is working with Oppenheimer in New Mexico on 'the bomb.' She's female; she's Jewish. She's brilliant but didn't I say she's female? So she's often overlooked, used only for her intellect and insight while all the 'glory' or praise goes to the men. Yep, this has changed somewhat over the last 60 years, but not enough.
Two stars, a dnf.
September 20, 2019
This meticulously researched, beautifully written novel opened my eyes to a facet of history I'd never even considered. Hannah's story is entertaining, thought-provoking, and full of unexpected twists right to the very last page.
July 10, 2020
This book is far more fiction than it is historical. However, it was a unique and different take on WWII at a time when it seems like everyone is writing a WWII novel. I really enjoyed the game of cat and mouse the author played with her characters and her readers.
November 6, 2021
Suspenseful & entertaining! A fast, satisfying read.
April 14, 2020
I thought this was a very good book. It is fiction but loosely based on the history of atomic bomb. It was very well written and I thought the story flowed very well.
January 25, 2022
This is a very quick read that has two main characters and two storylines centered around the creation of the atomic bomb and the Jewish woman who was integral in that endeavor. It is written in a more literary context and questions the morality of the bomb and the Allies’ victory.
March 20, 2020
Wow! The bright spot in all this social distancing and not leaving my house in a week has definitely been the quality of the books I’ve had the privilege to read. I stayed up late into the night to finish Hannah’s War because I simply couldn’t stop.
Dr. Hannah Weiss is an Austrian physicist working on the top-secret project deep in the New Mexico desert. Exiled from her homeland, under the Third Reich, she’s had her work stolen and her loved ones taken. And now she’s the chief suspect in Major Jack Delaney’s investigation to catch the spy.
Hannah’s War caught my attention from the first chapter and held it fixed through the perfectly paced investigation into Dr. Weiss’s history. It’s smart and well researched and through the fictional character shines the light on the actual brilliant woman Dr. Lise Meitner, who discovered nuclear fission and was then erased from history.
Intrigue, history and romance, Hannah’s War has it all. The characters are brilliant, flawed humans with their own personal motivations. It’s passionate and important in its discussions of war and and the desire to harness power.
I loved the nearly flawless novel and know it will be one that leaves a lasting impression.
August 28, 2021
(3.5 stars rounded down)
When love threatens to stand in the way of science, which will prove victorious?
I think this is one of the most quickly paced historical fiction novels I have ever read. I could see every scene so clearly, and think this would make a great film or mini-series. That being said, the quick pacing took away some of the character development for me. I found myself not really caring for Jack and feeling torn on how to feel towards Hannah (though of course that is the point). But even with how quickly this novel clipped along, I sometimes found myself skimming paragraphs rather than being enraptured by the story. I definitely enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others, but there were parts that just felt a little day-time soapy to me and I felt myself wanting more character development.
When love threatens to stand in the way of science, which will prove victorious?
I think this is one of the most quickly paced historical fiction novels I have ever read. I could see every scene so clearly, and think this would make a great film or mini-series. That being said, the quick pacing took away some of the character development for me. I found myself not really caring for Jack and feeling torn on how to feel towards Hannah (though of course that is the point). But even with how quickly this novel clipped along, I sometimes found myself skimming paragraphs rather than being enraptured by the story. I definitely enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others, but there were parts that just felt a little day-time soapy to me and I felt myself wanting more character development.
April 16, 2020
A very quick read. And... it's fine. Eh. It reminded me of a book I read in 2018(?) called The Cassandra, which I remember not liking much, either. This one was better. But one hurdle I couldn't get over was that this was based on a true story, and the author said her purpose was to shine a light on a woman who has been erased by history. And she did that by...fictionalizing her story? Changing her name, making up a whole backstory and all her relationships, then tucking in a footnote about "the REAL Hannah was etc, go here for more info." By covering her up with a character, this book also erases her from history, the only difference is that this author cites her sources. Very odd choice.
March 4, 2020
A gripping story about the German physicist who in Berlin 1938 is on the verge of splitting the atom. The is a book that is very hard to put down and you will be pulled into the mystery of who in the top-secret nuclear lab at Los Alamos has been leaking encoded equations to Hitler's scientists.
I recommend this book to all that love a fast paced story with remarkable characters and well research history. All historical fiction fans will love this one..
I recommend this book to all that love a fast paced story with remarkable characters and well research history. All historical fiction fans will love this one..
May 20, 2020
I couldn't get through it. It's a very slow burn. The formatting is not at all ideal for a story told from multiple perspectives, especially considering the perspectives are taking place in different settings and time periods.
August 9, 2020
Ok book hard to follow in my opinion. Found myself going back and rereading to see if I missed things.
March 2, 2021
According to Eliasberg, this novel was inspired by an article about three Nazi scientists who discovered the secret to nuclear fission; one was a Jewish female scientist. This fictional story follows Dr. Hannah Weiss, a female Jewish physicist on the cusp of making history in a science field dominated by men. Hannah is in Los Alamos, New Mexico, during WWII and discovered how to split atoms and make the first nuclear weapon. However, her research is ignored, made fun of, and stolen by German scientists who plan to turn it into a weapon. When someone leaks the encoded equations to Hitler's German scientists, Major John starts looking for a spy and targets Hannah.
The story had so many layers. Instead of being a linear, straightforward story, it became like a bomb itself with tons of layers and an explosive core. This book has a nice mix of real figures and historical information based on a female scientist named Lise Meitner's brilliant accomplishments.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jan...
The story had so many layers. Instead of being a linear, straightforward story, it became like a bomb itself with tons of layers and an explosive core. This book has a nice mix of real figures and historical information based on a female scientist named Lise Meitner's brilliant accomplishments.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jan...
November 21, 2019
Really enjoyed this historical fiction book about the development of the atomic bomb. It sparked an interest to explore further the involvement of women in this.
January 8, 2021
3.5
I think this is a fantastic untold story. However, the writing didn't captivate me and I was left wanting a deeper telling of the story.
I think this is a fantastic untold story. However, the writing didn't captivate me and I was left wanting a deeper telling of the story.
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