-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
The Story of Rosalind Franklin: A Novel
by Jessica Mills
The controversial story of one of the twentieth century's most famed scientists, Rosalind Franklin, who discovered the two-chain helical structure of DNA in 1952—but was then cheated out of the Nobel Prize.
Rosalind Franklin knows that to be a woman in a man's world is to be invisible. In the 1950s, science is a gentleman's profession and in the years after WWII there are plenty of scientists who want to keep it that way.
After being segregated at Cambridge, then ignored and criticized in the workplace, she has no intention of being seen as a second-class scientist and throws everything into proving her worth. But despite her success in unlocking the very secret of life, the ultimate glory is claimed by the men she left in her wake.
Inspired by the true story of a woman so many tried to silence, The English Chemist is a tale of hope and perseverance, love and betrayal.
"Mills dramatizes Rosalind's scientific prowess in intricate details and delivers insightful character work, exploring how Rosalind's dedication to her research led to her solitary life...a worthy companion to Marie Benedict's Her Hidden Genius. " —Publishers Weekly
"In Jessica Mills's absorbing biographical novel The English Chemist, the scientist responsible for discovering the illusive structure of DNA is denied recognition due to the duplicity of her colleagues. Rosalind Franklin, a scientist with a sharp wit and a conflicted inner world, narrates. In an intimate way, she covers her life and studies, culminating in her pivotal contribution to DNA research. Along the way, she experiences exclusion, belittling, and embarrassment as a woman working in what many considered to be a man's world." —Foreword Reviews
"A poignant, compelling novel that takes us into the heart and mind of Rosalind Franklin as she struggles for recognition in a man's world." —Louisa Treger, author of Madwoman and The Dragon Lady
"Loved this immersive journey into the life of a woman who changed the world's understanding of what makes us who we are." —Emily Chung, author of The Rangoon Sisters
"An engaging novel that intertwines the personal and the universal like braided strands of DNA." —Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros
This information about The English Chemist was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jessica Mills is a journalist and author. She has written for publications such as the Independent, the Wall Street Journal, and Business Insider, and she was an editor at Dow Jones and a member of the Women at Dow Jones steering committee. She lives in England.
If you liked The English Chemist, try these:
by Bonnie Garmus
Published 2025
A must-read debut! Meet Elizabeth Zott: a "formidable, unapologetic and inspiring" (Parade) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is "irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat" (The ...
by Kate Zernike
Published 2024
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who broke the story, the inspiring account of the sixteen female scientists who forced MIT to publicly admit it had been discriminating against its female faculty for years—sparking a nationwide reckoning with the pervasive sexism in science.
by Janice P.. Nimura
Published 2022
Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood.
It is among the commonplaces of education that we often first cut off the living root and then try to replace its ...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
