So I read a book that was good, but it may have been just a little sad and disappointing. It's not really the fault of the author, but that of the conditions of the past.  The book was, The Other Einstein, by Marie Benedict, and it was based on the life and first marriage of the greatly esteemed scientist and modern legend, Albert Einstein.


Of course it was difficult to read about a troubling marriage that ended in divorce, but it was also very exciting to read about a female scientist of that time period, who was so smart that she had an amazing intellectual and romantic relationship with Albert Einstein!  Of course, their romance blossomed in their youth, but as they grew older life changed for them and for the conditions of their love.  We all know that early love might not always last, no matter how thrilling, and this is just one of the consequences of youth that apparently mostly no one escapes.


What was great about this book, despite how depressing was the dissolution of a marriage, was that it did show that a woman could be an intellectual of such stature, despite the conditions of women's rights at this time.  It was beautiful to have a view of how their romance brought forth such great ideas, although the author does allude to the conflicts that this eventually created in their relationship.  This was the depressing part, and I do mean tragically heart-wrenching.


I have been trying to read happier books lately, and I'm glad to have experienced this vision of two great lives of the past.  My optimism requires that I believe in a better future, and to trust that folks will get along, despite occasional heartache.