The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

The Only Woman in the Room

by Marie Benedict

'A feminist page-turner that reads like a thriller' Mail on Sunday

The New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

Hedy Lamarr possessed a stunning beauty. She also possessed a stunning mind. Could the world handle both?

Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich's plans while at her husband's side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star.

But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis...if anyone would listen to her.

A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionised modern communication, The Only Woman in the Room is a masterpiece.

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on

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I read The Other Einstein last year, I enjoyed the writing of the story, it was just the characters characters annoyed me and therefore I had a hard time getting into the novel. Carnegie's Maid was a complete disappointment and I actually returned it to Audible halfway through. So why listen to The Only Woman in the Room you ask? Because I loved the premise and was interesting in learning that Hedy Lamarr was more than just a pretty face. Fortunatey, the third time was a charm. I was spellbound listening to her time in Austria and the actions with her abusive husband that eventually led to her fleeing to the United States. I did find the section about Larmarr in Hollywood to be a bit tedious and repetative. I wanted to move on to the lesser know aspects of Hedy and her ambitions to be an inventor. Benedict does touch on that but not until late in the book. I really enjoyed listening to that portion and wished the author had spent more time on it. I also listened to the Afterward and found it very informative as it discussed that Hedwig Kiesler's contributions to science have been used in the development of the cell phone; proving that while she may have been the only woman in the room she was more than a pretty face.

This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 19 July, 2019: Finished reading
  • 19 July, 2019: Reviewed