The Club’s band of bibliophiles discusses The Woman Who Split the Atom, the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award-winning tale by Marissa Moss.
This novel by the Pennsylvania-born author uncovers the journey of Lise Meitner, a Jewish female physicist who fled Nazi Germany and played a pivotal role in the splitting of the atom. Her monumental discovery, however, was overshadowed as the Nobel Prize was awarded to her male colleague, Otto Hahn.
Through exhaustive research and scrutiny of primary documents such as letters between Meitner and Hahn, Moss offers valuable insights into the era’s scientific breakthroughs and moral challenges. This period saw the development, against the scientist’s wishes, of the first atomic weapon, an event at the heart of Oppenheimer, winner of the 2024 Oscar for Best Picture.
Open to all Members, the Book Lovers’ Group meets once a month to discuss a particular title and share their own recommended reads.
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