What do you think?
Rate this book
In the Field
In 1920, having persuaded her resistant mother to send her to college, Kate Croft falls in love with science. Painfully rebuffed by a girl she longs for, and in flight from her own confusing sexuality, Kate finds refuge in the calm rationality of biology: its vision of a deeply interconnected world, and the promise that the new field of genetics can explain the way people are. But science, too, turns out to be marred by human weakness. Despite her hard work and extraordinary gifts, Kate struggles, facing discrimination, competition, and scientific theft. At the same time, a love affair is threatened by Kate's obsession with figuring out the meaning of the puzzling changes she sees in her experiments. The novel explores what it takes to triumph in the ruthless world of mid-20th-century genetics, following Kate as she decides what she is--and is not--willing to sacrifice to succeed.
Audio CD
First published August 10, 2021
12 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 18, 2022
3 stars. Such a fun way to read "nonfiction" and learn about someone of whom I never had any previous knowledge. Some of the passages with the treatment of a woman of science were infuriating, but overall the story was very inspiring and I've been wanting to look at things under a microscope ever since.
August 8, 2023
This novel is loosely based on the life of geneticist Barbara McClintock. Kate Croft, who stands in for her, is a compelling and sometimes frustrating character. Frustrating, at first because of her shelteredness, then because of her stubbornness. Yet, it is that same stubbornness and absolute devotion to her work that makes Kate a character worth rooting for. Every friend, lover, and coworker that Kate encounters has a life outside of work, but Kate is unique in that she seems to live to work. Kate's personality definitely works as a double-edged sword throughout the story, helping or harming both her professional life and personal relationships.
I found the science in this book pretty accessible up until the final few chapters. I do wish that Pastan had given a bit more of an explanation to the significance of Kate's discoveries so that us non-science people could understand how important they truly were.
I also appreciated the casual sapphic representation! Romance isn't the main focus of this novel, but it played a part. I'm usually not a big fan of side plot romances in books, but I enjoyed it here.
I came away from this book with a sense of how messy and human science can be. In an ideal world, science is always pure and logical. In the Field is a reminder, however, that science is practiced by people, and interpersonal dynamics can often affect the work. We see this through Kate's eyes - through the feuds, power structures, and sexism (both subtle and outright) that she experiences in her field.
I found the science in this book pretty accessible up until the final few chapters. I do wish that Pastan had given a bit more of an explanation to the significance of Kate's discoveries so that us non-science people could understand how important they truly were.
I also appreciated the casual sapphic representation! Romance isn't the main focus of this novel, but it played a part. I'm usually not a big fan of side plot romances in books, but I enjoyed it here.
I came away from this book with a sense of how messy and human science can be. In an ideal world, science is always pure and logical. In the Field is a reminder, however, that science is practiced by people, and interpersonal dynamics can often affect the work. We see this through Kate's eyes - through the feuds, power structures, and sexism (both subtle and outright) that she experiences in her field.
October 7, 2021
An excellent book. This is about genetics, genius, dogged determination, love in various shapes and forms, chauvinism, gender equality and many other things. The beauty of this book is how all these layers gracefully interweave into one another - never faltering, never wanting a spare word. It is written with the impeccable logic of a poet and the fluidity of a geneticist!
I like to read fiction about science, engineering, medicine and mathematics; and this is how a book respecting those topics should be written. Practitioners of science are also people of their time, their environment and their upbringing; they can be temperamental, irrational, vain and fallible like everyone else. Still at the end, it is the dogged practice of the craft and the pursuit of the truth that set them apart.
I like to read fiction about science, engineering, medicine and mathematics; and this is how a book respecting those topics should be written. Practitioners of science are also people of their time, their environment and their upbringing; they can be temperamental, irrational, vain and fallible like everyone else. Still at the end, it is the dogged practice of the craft and the pursuit of the truth that set them apart.
November 7, 2023
This was a great book, but it left me feeling sad. I say this not because I don’t recommend it but just to know that it’s not a book for when you’re looking for something uplifting.
August 25, 2022
It wasn't bad, just felt somewhat boring and predictable. A woman in science faces sexism, never marries, makes brilliant discoveries that she doesn't get credit for. I would've liked a note in the back telling me more about the real-life scientist Kate's character was based on. Also, I felt that it was hard for me to really get a feel for how major the scientific discoveries were. Obviously the things Kate & colleagues are studying are taken for granted by many today, and there's a mention in the epilogue of the new drug penicillin, but since I don't know that much about chromosomes I felt like the book could've described modern cutting-edge science and I wouldn't have known the difference.
October 10, 2021
This excellent novel is loosely based on an actual female pioneer geneticist in the mid 2oth Century. It informs about the historical details, giving a taste of how scientific study works, especially in genetics, and the struggles that women face to be taken seriously. It also shows the infighting and politics involved in the pursuit of knowledge and how these factors can impede the advancement of science.
December 22, 2021
Riveted for 24 hours. We don’t have enough books about women like this. Even though I felt like I would have enjoyed it more with a stronger science background, it was more than interesting with my limited knowledge.
December 25, 2021
This novel was a delight to read. Think Calpurnia Tate goes to college.
April 30, 2022
I enjoyed this book for a lot of reasons, but don't read it expecting a fictionalize biography of Barbara McClintock! She was definitely a maverick like the main character, but McClintock was exceptionally private and while much is known about her scientific endeavors, very little is known about her life. One of the things that annoys me is the assumption that an unmarried career woman (as McClintock was) must be a lesbian. There are so many reasons for not marrying … and even more back in the days before birth control! The book does "borrow" McClintock's science and the locations where she did the science, but the story is that of fictional Dr Kate Croft, not Dr Barbara McClintock.
Themes I found explored in the book included:
- How does the scientific researcher's mind work? The author shared the main character's thoughts often. And the picture she paints is of intense curiosity about literally everything, especially if genetics applies! Walking down the street she wonders about what genes make people who they are and how they are expressed; how plants, rooted in one place develop defenses against predators; what causes a caterpillar to turn to pupae at the exact time it does and what changes are happening to form a new creature. I loved walking with her as her mind wandered.
- Treatment of women in science … we see Kate as an undergrad, as a doctoral candidate, as a researcher. And at every turn she is treated as "less". Less deserving of choosing her own projects, less deserving of being included on papers where she played a crucial part in the investigation (on she should have been named on garners a Nobel for the man who excluded her work from recognition), less deserving of funding, less deserving of a "good word" from someone to help her along her career path, less deserving of having her papers read without regard to her sex (Kate suggests at one point having names withheld from grant applications to avoid the reviewers prejudging based on either the sex or the reputation of the researcher … the old boys don't like that idea!)
- Balance of work and life … Kate is forced to choose between continuing her work and her relationship. The author makes it clear that male researchers don't generally have this problem. However, the author also suggests that the wives of those researchers have limited options open to them.
- How does science get done? Using a real Nobel laureate's work as a basis in the telling of our fictional heroine's story allows the description of the science to be authentic. As a scientist, I loved that drawing back of the curtain!
An enjoyable read!
Themes I found explored in the book included:
- How does the scientific researcher's mind work? The author shared the main character's thoughts often. And the picture she paints is of intense curiosity about literally everything, especially if genetics applies! Walking down the street she wonders about what genes make people who they are and how they are expressed; how plants, rooted in one place develop defenses against predators; what causes a caterpillar to turn to pupae at the exact time it does and what changes are happening to form a new creature. I loved walking with her as her mind wandered.
- Treatment of women in science … we see Kate as an undergrad, as a doctoral candidate, as a researcher. And at every turn she is treated as "less". Less deserving of choosing her own projects, less deserving of being included on papers where she played a crucial part in the investigation (on she should have been named on garners a Nobel for the man who excluded her work from recognition), less deserving of funding, less deserving of a "good word" from someone to help her along her career path, less deserving of having her papers read without regard to her sex (Kate suggests at one point having names withheld from grant applications to avoid the reviewers prejudging based on either the sex or the reputation of the researcher … the old boys don't like that idea!)
- Balance of work and life … Kate is forced to choose between continuing her work and her relationship. The author makes it clear that male researchers don't generally have this problem. However, the author also suggests that the wives of those researchers have limited options open to them.
- How does science get done? Using a real Nobel laureate's work as a basis in the telling of our fictional heroine's story allows the description of the science to be authentic. As a scientist, I loved that drawing back of the curtain!
An enjoyable read!
February 27, 2023
4.5 stars
I had originally thought of giving this 4 stars, but I had missed the context that this was loosely based on Barbara McClintock's life...Without that context, it doesn't quite make sense why 1) the biology examples are so rigorous, and 2) that the book jumps years if not decades by the end. But with the context of it being both Dr. McClintock's body of work, and her life, I'm upping it to 4.5 stars!
In the book we follow Kate, from modest beginnings convincing her mother to let her go to a free agricultural plant biology program, her struggles attempting to rise through the ranks as a corn geneticist, and her personal struggles with her colleagues, her place in the scientific community, and her sexuality.
Kate comes off a bit too dry at the beginning, but through the novel you do come to like her brashness. I don't agree with Kate, who thinks that every woman in science who didn't get a PhD just needs a little more support or convincing from her (I'm one of them, Kate, happy to be at the bench, no stars in my eyes), but I did appreciate the variety of friendships the author portrayed throughout Kates life. I wish there would have been just another 50 of so pages at the end...
After reading this I headed straight to Barbara McClintock's wikipedia page, and read all of it and also Rachel Pastan's interviews. Because Dr. McClintock was very private, and we don't know anything about her personal life, the author chose to use another name in order not to infer anything. But Pastan does state that there's some correspondence describing Dr. McClintock living at a physician's house (with the mother), and that this female physician would sometimes travel with her. So, no ignoring that.
For everyone who loved Lab Girl, or needs more scientific protagonists in books, this is for you!
I had originally thought of giving this 4 stars, but I had missed the context that this was loosely based on Barbara McClintock's life...Without that context, it doesn't quite make sense why 1) the biology examples are so rigorous, and 2) that the book jumps years if not decades by the end. But with the context of it being both Dr. McClintock's body of work, and her life, I'm upping it to 4.5 stars!
In the book we follow Kate, from modest beginnings convincing her mother to let her go to a free agricultural plant biology program, her struggles attempting to rise through the ranks as a corn geneticist, and her personal struggles with her colleagues, her place in the scientific community, and her sexuality.
Kate comes off a bit too dry at the beginning, but through the novel you do come to like her brashness. I don't agree with Kate, who thinks that every woman in science who didn't get a PhD just needs a little more support or convincing from her (I'm one of them, Kate, happy to be at the bench, no stars in my eyes), but I did appreciate the variety of friendships the author portrayed throughout Kates life. I wish there would have been just another 50 of so pages at the end...
After reading this I headed straight to Barbara McClintock's wikipedia page, and read all of it and also Rachel Pastan's interviews. Because Dr. McClintock was very private, and we don't know anything about her personal life, the author chose to use another name in order not to infer anything. But Pastan does state that there's some correspondence describing Dr. McClintock living at a physician's house (with the mother), and that this female physician would sometimes travel with her. So, no ignoring that.
For everyone who loved Lab Girl, or needs more scientific protagonists in books, this is for you!
March 27, 2022
Found this fictional story inspired by the life of Nobel prize winning geneticist Barbara McClintock to be an enjoyable, light easy read. Maybe a little too "romance novel" at times for my particular taste, but it wasn't a deal breaker. It's an interesting glimpse into the early development of the field of genetics. Although non-scientists need fear nothing. By modern standards the science in the book is not much more than jr. high level concepts. This story is about the tedious hard work, dedication, relationships and the fierce often cut throat competition among scientists. The central feature of the story is the ways in which women were, some might say still are, marginalized in a profession dominated by men and the tenacity of pioneering women to have their work recognized and respected. There is still debate among male scientists about how much of that is true in McClintock's case, but remember that the author is careful to explain in the opening pages the book is only inspired by McClintock. It's not strictly biographical. It's an entertaining science fact based story. It moves briskly along and doesn't get bogged down in any tedious details as biographies tend to. That's either good or bad news depending on ones interests. Having recently read several tedious biographies, for me it was a welcomed break.
January 11, 2022
Pastan's Kate Croft is a fascinating and infuriating character... filled with passionate determination, keen intelligence, and unconventional imagination. She is usually the smartest person in the room but often dismissed because she's a woman studying in the field of science in the 1920s. A character flaw -- or is it a positive distinguishing feature? -- is her belief that 'fairness' will be the reward for being right. Repeatedly, Kate confronts the men who did not have the intelligence and imagination to overcome the next hurdle in their work, taking her ideas and analyses and convincing themselves they were theirs and theirs alone, neglecting to share credit with her or to even cite her contributions.
As a reader, it can be frustrating to watch Kate make the same 'mistakes' again and again; but it is her nature, and she is a wonderful character to watch over the decades of this outstanding novel.
As a reader, it can be frustrating to watch Kate make the same 'mistakes' again and again; but it is her nature, and she is a wonderful character to watch over the decades of this outstanding novel.
January 8, 2023
This book filled me with a rage so intense that I had to put it down several times, but in the best way. This is the story of Dr. Kate Croft, who is loosely based on real life geneticist Barbra McClintock, in the early 30’s. Kate exists on the margins of girlhood, struggling with social cues, and finding herself wanting more than friendship with her girlfriends. Regardless of the fact that she is a brilliant scientist, her innovative work is stolen time and again, and burried otherwise, which is what filled me with so much rage.
I’m so grateful to stories like this for showing me how far gender equality has come as well as how far there is to go for all marginalized folk in academia and society at large. I always say that the best books make you feel something, and anger is no exception. This was a library book but I might need to purchase a copy for my own library.
I’m so grateful to stories like this for showing me how far gender equality has come as well as how far there is to go for all marginalized folk in academia and society at large. I always say that the best books make you feel something, and anger is no exception. This was a library book but I might need to purchase a copy for my own library.
February 4, 2022
Very nicely played science historical fiction. The protagonist, Kate Croft, based on geneticist Barbara McClintock, is a good character in her own right—prickly, obsessive, impulsive—and the book takes on a lot without being didactic: gender disparities in the scientific community during the first half of the 20th century, what is gained and lost in single-minded dedication to work, the ways that power structures in academia are entangled in personal relationships, and a tantalizing glimpse into the actual science. Not that I understood much of the last, but it's always fun to read bits in what's essentially a different language, just for context. Altogether a very interesting, smooth read, and definitely recommended to anyone who likes this sort of thing.
July 17, 2022
I picked this book up at a venue where the book was the focus. So, I didn't know what to expect, but can never resist a free book. To my delight, I actually enjoyed it - the story, the writing, the main character. Midway through the book I was getting a little frustrated with the characters, but finally it moved forward, and I found it to be very entertaining. Plus I learned about a real person, Barbara McClintock, that the character Kate Croft was based on. I liked how, in the novel, she really remained true to herself, and stood up for herself. It's an amazing story of a 20th century woman scientist - although she had challenges along the way she was respected for being a good scientist and doing good science.
July 8, 2022
The beginning of this book was quite slow, so I did not have high hopes starting out. However, I got pulled in the more I read. Having a degree in biology, it was easy for me to follow along on the science parts of the book, which made it even more enjoyable. It was cool to read about how the fundamental ideas of genetics seemed so “out there” for the time these things were being discovered. Not to mention the dispora between men and women scientists which really angered me and made me love Kate as a character even more- always standing up for herself and speaking her mind in the face of adversity with her make counterparts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 18, 2021I still don’t really like the format of historical fiction, but after finishing the book, looking up the history, and rereading the author’s note, I’m no longer as critical.
What I still didn’t like was the prose, the (in my opinion) forcefully inserted scientific jargon, and the sad ending. The last again I can’t hold against the book because it’s adherence to the facts it was based on but still made me sad.
What I still didn’t like was the prose, the (in my opinion) forcefully inserted scientific jargon, and the sad ending. The last again I can’t hold against the book because it’s adherence to the facts it was based on but still made me sad.
March 30, 2022
If you don't think a novel based on a geneticist can be a page-turner, you haven't read IN THE FIELD yet. I loved how Rachel Pastan builds suspense created by the sexism in the first half of the century (will the scientist Kate Croft, based on Nobel-prize winner McClintock get her due--and how?), and also created by various expectations--and the undermining of those expectations--of romance. Rachel creates scenes that make you forget about the world around you and get lost in this one.
March 26, 2023
Be prepared for lots of scientific discussions on chromosomes, genes, and corn. I liked the book. It felt dry in certain parts, but I liked Kate's relationship with other characters. Some made me angry (Paul) while others were a welcome surprise (Sarah). The scenes with Kate and her male colleagues were good. All those men looked down on her just because she was a woman and it infuriated me. It made me root for Kate and hope that she got some recognition by the end of the book.
October 29, 2023
What a joy. This book exemplifies the intricate love that can come from a life devoted to a deep passion.
Here we see biology viewed not as a hard discipline, but a refuge into the inner worlds of life. I was so clearly able to envision myself into Kate’s shoes in academia, and felt so much through her struggles of aging, love, meaning, friendship, and not being heard as a woman in the sciences.
I loved it.
Here we see biology viewed not as a hard discipline, but a refuge into the inner worlds of life. I was so clearly able to envision myself into Kate’s shoes in academia, and felt so much through her struggles of aging, love, meaning, friendship, and not being heard as a woman in the sciences.
I loved it.
January 7, 2022
well written and historically interesting account of one of the early corn geneticists whose research had larger influences on DNA, heredity, decades ago. The fact that she was a female made things doubly hard for her because it was some time ago.
Interesting perspective on how the early part of genetics research came to be.
Interesting perspective on how the early part of genetics research came to be.
August 23, 2022
This was an interesting novel although at times it got a bit boring with Kate's determination and the prejudice she had to face. Kate's character was quite well developed as were most of the secondary ones. The plot of her life and the challenges she faced was interesting. I hope our present female scientists are given credit for the work they do.
May 15, 2022
Kate had to work harder and stick up for herself to get recognition for the science that she did. Focus and curiosity initiated by her father. I like the topic of anonymity in the review process, stand up for what is right.
March 22, 2023
Great book to read when you’re struggling with period cramps. The beginning of the book tells you the ending, so each male asshole in this book doesn’t bother me anymore since most of them don’t get the prize.
April 3, 2023
Biographie romancée de Barbara McClintock, docteur en génétique nobélisée à la fin de sa carrière. Le roman est prenant même si certains passages sur le traitement des femmes en sciences au début du XXe siècle étaient difficiles à lire et parfaitement rageants.
September 15, 2021
I loved this book! The history of genetics was fascinating, the struggle of women in the early 20th century continues to amaze me, and Kate’s personal story was intriguing.
September 30, 2021
Beautifully written story of a scientist
December 31, 2021
My best read of 2021. Off to read more of her.
January 3, 2022
Excellent.
February 7, 2022
3.5 stars!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews