The Only Woman in the Room (2024)

Remarkable woman, unremarkable book.

I wish a different author had written this story.

Hedy Lamarr was not only a Hollywood bombshell starring alongside the likes of Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, but also a self-taught scientist who helped develop the technology we use in wireless communications today. In this book, however, details are glossed over in favor of schmaltz, the genesis of her scientific mind is buried and an intelligent and complicated woman is treated like a cardboard cutout in a tawdry melodrama. Add to it dull writing and a first person narrative with overblown phrasing that tells rather than shows and there were numerous times I wanted to fling this book against a wall.

The first 150 pages read like a romance novel turned domestic drama, then her life’s work from her arrival in Hollywood to America’s entrance into WWII is condensed to 100 pages ending abruptly in 1950 most of which is tripe missing, and often changing, some salient facts. In addition to spread-spectrum technology, she is also credited with a number of other inventions and Howard Hughes put a team of scientists at her disposal. All of this is given short shrift with one sentence. One sentence! This book fails on so many levels, the most disheartening of whch is that it misses an opportunity to provide a portrait of a woman ahead of her time. Hedy deserves to be known, but not as the vacuous femme fatale Benedict depicts in this book.

Do yourself a favor, search her name and spend the time you would have spent with this book reading about her achievements from other sources. Or watch the PBS documentary. Or if you must, wait for the Showtime miniseries starring Gal Godot. But save yourself the aggravation if you enjoy historical fiction with some actual history that elevates, not marginalizes, strong women.

3.25 stars

This is the third historical fiction book I have read by the author and while I did enjoy this one, I thought it had some flaws. I don't normally use quarter stars in my ratings but this is a case of knowing I rated the other books at 3.5 stars and feeling like this one wasn't quite at that level but also wasn't really a straight 3 stars either. So 3.25 stars is where I landed.

Prior to reading, I'll admit I didn't know much about the subject of this book, Hedy Lamarr, other than she was an actress and inventor. The time period covered in the book is the 1930s and 40s and features Hedy's life living in Austria while married to a powerful arms dealer, her big break in Hollywood, and her invention that is very much relevant in today's time.

This is one of the few instances in which I wish the book was longer as it felt somewhat incomplete. I thought the topics of her marriage and acting career were well-covered but the invention portion felt like it was glossed over. I ended up feeling disappointed when I finished reading the book because I feel like there was so much potential there and it came up short. The book clocks in at 250 pages and I definitely think some more attention to this part of her life would have greatly enhanced the story.

Overall, I do like the subjects and stories the author chooses to feature in her stories. However, they are more library type reads rather than ones I would go out and actually purchase myself. They fall in the category of comfy reads in which they aren't a bad way to pass the time but there are better historical fiction books on the market that pack more of a punch.

I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

An inspiring book about a remarkable woman. This is a fictionalised account of screen siren Hedy Lamarr, known for her beauty, but not recognised until recently for her outstanding contribution to science. The first part of the book is set in pre-WW2 Austria, where as an aspiring actress she is forced into marriage with a notorious arms dealer. As the trophy wife she is privy to many dinner parties and clandestine meetings between powerful heads of state, and with her amazing intelligence she takes in a lot more than those that dismissed her as an airhead realise. Fast forward to the second part of the book, she has escaped Austria and her abusive marriage. She lands in Hollywood where she soon becomes a famous screen star, but behind the façade hides a guilt about the plight of her people in Austria during WW2, that she feels she didn't do enough to try to save before she fled. So using the knowledge of those pre-war meetings she starts to devise a weapon to try to bring an end to the war more swiftly.
Honestly, before I read this book I didn't know much about Hedy Lamarr, except for being a Hollywood starlet. Marie Benedict tells a well researched tale about a woman that the world owes a lot to. Not a lot is known about her days in Austria, but Benedict's version could well be very close to the truth. I, for one, have a newfound respect for Lamarr, and will have to look out for some of her movies. A recommended read for those who love inspirational women.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What should have been a fascinating story suffered from boring writing. Also, the whole point was to show how Lamarr was a multi-faceted woman — inventor, actress, etc. — but the majority of the book is about her clothes, looks, and acting. Occasionally, it’s mentioned that she read a book about physics, but not much else is given to help us understand her scientific side. A disappointing book about a fascinating woman. 2.5⭐️

Literature recognizing women's historical contributions in academic areas, such as math and science, has recently been springing up. This is one such story.

Although I've heard of the famous American actress, Austrian-born Hedy (Kiesler) Lamarr, I was quite surprised to learn while reading this book that this woman was also the co-inventor of "an early version of frequency-hopping spread spectrum communication, especially intended for torpedo guidance" (as stated on Wikipedia.) Wow! Besides gaining this knowledge, I enjoyed this book because:
1. I appreciated how Marie Benedict chose to write about the lesser-understood aspects of Hedy Lamarr, rather than what would be common knowledge of her famous life as an actress;
2. right from the first chapter, every action, every description, made me feel like I was living Hedy's life. The word choices for various settings and details are so descriptive, I felt like I could see and feel everything! Some scenes are quite suspenseful - this story would make a great movie!;
3. the title is perfect for this story! Hedy was often treated like an ornament - admired but not taken seriously and sometimes ignored; and,
4. Benedict portrays Lamarr as human, at times vain and wanton, but also as a sympathetic character with feelings of guilt and hopeful redemption. It's unfortunate that this particular period in history wasn't conducive for Hedy to fight against the overt sexism shown her regarding her intellect, making her give up on her ideals and succumb by doing what is expected of her. It was only in the 1990s when her scientific contribution began to be recognized.

I was so invested in this story that I added other titles by Benedict to my WTR list, even before I was finished this book!

A fascinating look at a fascinating woman!

4 brilliant stars to this story of Hedy Lamarr!

I read and enjoyed Carnegie’s Maid, and I have been looking forward to reading Marie Benedict’s latest fictional portrayal of a strong woman. In this instance, she has written about Hedy (Kiesler) Lamarr.

Born Jewish, Hedy Kiesler later finds herself an actress married to an Austrian arms dealer. Hedy is able to use her powerful position to avoid Nazi persecution. At the same time, her husband is controlling and difficult, and one evening in 1937, she disguises herself and flees.

Where does she land? None other than Hollywood, and this is where she becomes the notorious Hedy Lamarr, famous movie star. Not only is Lamarr a stunning and well-loved actress hiding her Jewish heritage, she is also a brilliant scientist with an idea that may save her new country- that is, if anyone will take her seriously.

I found The Only Woman in the Room to be engrossing and enchanting. Hedy Lamarr is a strong female figure we need to know about, not just for her film legacy, but for her scientific contributions as well. Kudos to Marie Benedict for highlighting an extraordinary woman with a powerfully-written story. Fans of World War II fiction will find much to love in this fascinating story.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

"The Only Woman in the Room" by Marie Benedict is the story of a woman who was known for her beauty but overlooked for her intelligence as an inventor!

I was excited to read this book when our community book club picked it as our August '21 read. This was my first experience with this author and I couldn't wait to dig in!

Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Austria, she would eventually become Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr. The synopsis of this book gives all the information in this Historical Fiction story so I won't refer to it as I usually do in my reviews. What's important and relevant is how I felt after reading this book.

Most Historical Fiction is designed to allow the author to create empathy and emotion for the person(s) of interest. However, this story is told entirely in the first person point-of-view of Hedy in a voice that is overtly narcissistic. I appreciated the self-confidence and pride in her work that shines through but it was difficult for me to feel compassionate or sympathetic towards her.

The development of other characters was lacking leaving the total focus on Hedy who, as written by this author, comes across as unlikable. With so many great character actors this actress crossed paths with in Hollywood it would have seemed easy to expand on this and bring in additional characters for the depth that felt missing. Great characters are the backbone of a story especially when recounting history in fiction form.

I wanted so much more from this book but what I found was a story that felt intentionally safe, hurried and unfinished resulting from a lack of creative spirit by the author. I do intend to read other offerings from Ms. Benedict, as I am told her books are worth it. 2.5 stars rounded down!

2.5 stars, rounded up
This was my book club read for August. I liked it, but didn't love it.

I liked:
Learning more about Hedy Lamarr, she's such a fascinating woman and I had no idea anything about her or her life. More books are being written about these unsung women from history, and so I love to discover new things I didn't know before.

What I didn't really like:
This book is told in first person, which I didn't connect with. It didn't focus enough on her inventions and war work, it focused mostly on her romantic life and acting. Which wasn't bad, but I just couldn't get into it because I wanted to know more. Instead it felt wooden at times and so much telling.

I had read Code Name Hélène last month for my book club and it was very similar--historical fiction based on a real woman who contributed in history. I'm not a historical fiction fan in the first place, so reading two similar books two months in a row wasn't good for me. I kept comparing the two and I liked Code Name Helene more.

Overall, this book made me more interested in Hedy Lamarr, I don't think I've ever seen one of her movies (surprising since I've seen a LOT of movies). I did see that Gal Godot is starring in a series about her life that will be released soon on Apple TV+, and I will be fascinated to watch that to learn more about her than this short book can tell me.

This is a novel based on the life of Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000). She was primarily known as an actress, but she was also an inventor. She developed, along with George Antheil, a radio guidance system for torpedoes. The navy did not implement her system until the 1960s. She also developed the principle of Bluetooth technology. She also had patents for various microphone and sound systems innovations. She had many patents in her name. She was a Jew and fled Austria ahead of the Nazis.

I found Hedy’s fight against the Nazis and role as an inventor most interesting. She was a very intelligent woman and I wonder how much more she could have achieved in today’s world. I enjoyed the novel because it was based on fact.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours and fifty-four minutes. Suzanne Toren does an excellent job narrating the book. Toren is a well-known narrator. For over thirty years she was a key narrator for The American Foundation for the Blind. In 1988 she won the Narrator of the year for the American Foundation for the Blind. In 2009 she won the Best Voice in Non-Fiction by Audiofile Magazine.

Really enjoyed this one, a fictionalized biography that pays tribute to the little known scientific contributions of the stunning and talented Hedy Lamarr

I was only vaguely familiar with the actress Hedy Lamarr and was really surprised with what an interesting life she led and her scientific achievements.
The story takes us from Nazi occupied Germany and Lamarr’s earlier career to her time as a Hollywood star.
I was aware that I was reading a fictionalized biography but I really enjoyed the read and couldn't put the book down. I was intrigued by this lady and her brilliant mind. I did research her on completion of the book and watched a couple of documentaries on YouTube which were really interesting too.

I listened to this one on Audible and while I wasn’t a fan of the narrator I really did enjoy the story.

A fascinating and surprising read and a book that will go onto my favorites list.

DNF at 20%. I just can't with this. I picked this up as it was the Barnes & Nobel monthly book club selection.

This is just rubbish. I am surprised at how many high-starred reviews there are. I got to 20% of this book and we had only just gotten Hedy married off. With only 200 or so pages left this thing is just lingering on the less interesting parts/made up parts of Hedy's life.

But my biggest problem here - with as far as I've gotten - is the sheer amount of this book that is focused on random crap. We spend ages talking about the colors of the roses Fritz sends to her and way too much added stuff from the author. I understand this is historical fiction - not an outright biography - but when you are piling that much into it that cannot be confirmed you basically should admit that this is as accurate as the "based on true events" Hollywood movies. So far - I've hardly read anything that could be backed up with a simple google search - it's all just the author superimposing thoughts and feelings onto Hedy - - which leads to the GIGANTIC problem: How the hell do you make Hedy Lamarr boring. How? Seriously. That's an actual, legitimate question I want answered.

There is no way with 200 pages left we can get through her marriage (or the next five she had), her escape from said marriage & Austria & fascism, through the Hollywood career, and the invention (which frankly is just a precursor to Wifi that she helped with based on her munitions knowledge and wasn't even employed on Navy ships until much later - not some groundbreaking WWII ending invention a la the publisher's blurb). And with the way this writing is going - - I'm gonna hazard a guess that we spend more time talking about how beautiful Hedy is and which dress she decided to wear today than anything of importance.

If you wanna know about Hedy Lamarr and don't mind a bit of fictionalization - try the Wikipedia page. It's a better read and much faster.

I wanted so much more from this book. Hedy Lamarr was a brilliant, fascinating woman and while Benedict hit the highlights of her life, that's all she did—hit the highlights. This is a biographical novel that fell short on the "novel" side. Perhaps Benedict was wary of embellishing/fictionalizing too much of the life of someone about whom so much is known, but it resulted in a novel that was a bit flat. Another fifty to one hundred pages to add texture and detail to the incidents depicted or to include Hedy's childhood or something to add depth and richness to a story that never quite sparked and sparkled in a manner worthy of its subject.

3.5 stars, rounded down
Marie Benedict has a talent for writing well researched historical fiction about fascinating women. This time, she turns her attention to Hedy Lamarr. More than just a talented actress, she also was the wife of a powerful Austrian arms dealer in the 1930s and a scientist in America during WWII. And the inventor of one of the first methods of spread spectrum technology.
Hedy is just 19 and a star on the stage when she catches the eye of Friedrich Mandl. She marries him in an effort to protect herself and her family, as they are Jewish, albeit non-practicing. When she finally flees her marriage and country, she feels guilt from keeping quiet about what she had learned from her husband’s business partners. And it’s that guilt that led her to learn as much as she could about torpedoes and try to help the US navy. But misogyny was such a factor it was an uphill battle.
The second half of the book felt rushed, like Benedict was glossing over her life during those 5 years. It is always such a shock to realize the difference between filming today vs. the first half of the 20th century. Being a contract actor meant non stop filming.
I was impressed to learn exactly how the change of Austria from democracy to Nazi satellite country came about. It was more complex than I had realized.
An interesting book but not my favorite of Benedict’s. This was for a book club and should lead to an interesting discussion.
Note - for those interested in a book based on The City of Benares, the ship that caused Lamarr so much additional guilt, check out The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor.

I should have looked more closely at this title, because I thought that I was picking up a biography instead of historical fiction. I found it disappointing. The author's attempt to reflect Hedy Lamarr's thoughts and experiences was lackluster and oddly repetitive. Interesting details from Hedy's life as a film star and a self-taught scientist could have filled out the story, but did not appear. At the end I'm left wanting the biography I thought I was choosing.

This is such a watered down story of such an intelligent woman who has changed the course of history through her inventions and ambition. To have such a complex woman with a life full of hardships and to only tell the story of her first husband and to continually recycle the same thoughts in her internal dialogue because this book basically is a regurgitation of her Wiki page does such a disservice to Hedy’s life.

I also did not enjoy how the author twisted the story of Hedy’s first son and fictionalized how he came to being.

Nothing of this story impressed me. I implore people to watch “Bombshell” on Netflix to learn about Hedy’s life in a way that actually does justice to her.

Hedy Lamarr (born Hedwig Kiesler) (1914-2000) was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. Her invention along with George Antheil wasn’t incorporated by the US Navy until the 1960s; the principles of their work are incorporated into Bluetooth technology. They were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.

1933, Vienna, Austria. Hedy Kiesler is a successful actress, performing in Sissy, beloved Bavarian Empress Elizabeth, at the famed Theater an der Wien.

Friedrich Mandl takes a note of her and pursues her. His company manufactures munitions, and it’s not just what he manufactures, but to whom he sells it. One of his clients is Benito Mussolini.

At 19, to Hedy’s surprise she finds Mandl very attractive. Her father agrees to the marriage, seeking security for his daughter against brewing anti-Semitism. And he hopes that this union can bring a protection for his family. They’re not religious, but they’re still Jewish. As soon as the honeymoon follows, she already recognizes that the protection they were seeking through this marriage may not be the case.

She escapes Austria and makes her way to London and gets a second chance. The head of MGM Studios offers her a contract. She sails for Hollywood, and on the ship is given her new stage name Hedy Lamarr. When she moves to the States, she buries the secret of her husband's conversations she overheard.

Then she meets George Antheil, a famous composer. When they play effortlessly on a piano, changing tunes and synchronizing seamlessly, an idea comes to her mind. She asks him to work on a project with her to help humanity.

The author skillfully paints a portrait of a beautiful woman with “a sharp mind capable of significant contributions. (…) a woman capable of greatness, and not only on the screen.” Whose secret burns inside her, making her feel guilty for all the lost lives. And the sexism she encounters at the US Navy. “(…) it reflects the pervasive marginalization of women’s contributions, a problem that is both historical and modern.”

The story focuses on the parts of Hedy’s life that are relevant to the premise of the story. The chapters are short and the story is engrossing, making it a quick read.

If you’re not familiar with this author, I also highly recommend her other two novels: The Other Einstein and Carnegie’s Maid. I greatly appreciate authors, who search for lesser known subjects. I am already eagerly awaiting this author’s next novel.

4 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Published Jan 8, 2019

I put off reading this book because I could not bring myself to read another WWII Nazi book. I kept waiting to be 'in the mood' to read this one. Finally, three days after publication, I started the book.

Even with my reluctance to read this book, I thought it started off at a pretty good pace. I knew that I liked the author and her style of writing, so I gave myself over to the story. It did not take me long to get absorbed into the characters and flow of the story. After the first half dozen chapters I realized that I was enjoying it and settled right into the cadence.

Having not reread the synopsis of the book since choosing it, which is my preference, I had forgotten the detail it gave. So blindly plunging into this story I was met with some nice surprises.

Being introduced to Hedy Kiesler, a young woman married off to a much older man, Freidrich Mandl, an arms dealer, for the safety and surety of both herself and her Jewish parents, as Hitler knocked on the door of Austria. Having made the decision to be an actress, this marriage was a life altering event for Hedy, for she now became hostess to the most powerful man in Austria. Expected to be only that 'hostess', to the most important men in Europe, Hedy overheard some of the most detailed plans of WWII and Hitlers regime, while quickly getting bored of not only her lifestyle, but of her marriage. Taking her secrets with her, Hedy devised a plan to escape her marriage and her homeland for a free future in America.

Not only was this story based on a prevalent 1950's elite actress, but the Afterword gave greater detail about her life and her contributions to our lives, over and above her acting ability. As I said, by not rereading the synopsis I was delighted by the surprises I came upon in this book, enjoyed the story, and ended up happy I read it.

This book isn't bad, but it also isn't good. I'm also baffled as to why this is being published in January (according to the back of my Book Expo ARC), because it's an obvious beach read -- and is written as such. The author presents a cursory overview of actress Hedy Lamarr's amazing life and, in such, makes it utterly un-amazing. THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM moves through events too quickly. For example, Lamarr's custody battle for her son takes one sentence. As a result, the character never develops. We're talking about the woman who in real life invented wifi and a WWII naval torpedo system. But Benedict's Lamarr isn't smart enough to do those things. When she becomes an inventor, there's nothing written in the character that allows this development to make sense. Had the book taken its time in moving through the events of her life, we could have learned more about her. We could have actually cared. Instead, we're left with scenes that should have been moving that aren't: Benedict even makes the moment when Lamarr learns about Pearl Harbor boring -- and Pearl Harbor is one of the most moving events of all time.

THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM is just a beach read. And if that's what you're into, hey. But the real Lemarr fought her entire life to be taken seriously, and here, she is not.

Hedy Lamarr was both stunningly beautiful and stunningly smart. But could the world handle both?

SUMMARY
May 17, 1933, the beautiful Hedwig Kiesler is on stage performing the role of her life in Vienna, when she captures the attention of the richest and most powerful man in Austria. Arms manufacturer, Friedrich Mandl lavishes dozens and dozens of roses on the young actress after every performance. Hedwig soon finds herself married to Friedrich, living in a castle and attending lavish dinner parties where the discussions are on arms manufacturing, weaponry, politics, and German aggression. She understood these conversations more than anyone would guess.

Desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazi party, Hedy disguises herself and flees from Austria to London in 1937. She lands in Hollywood, and becomes the beautiful screen star Hedy Lamarr. But her guilt for surviving, when so many in her birth country perished, ultimately move her to action. Because of her unique intelligence, insight and knowledge of weaponry, Hedy is able to invent an improved guidance system to enhance the accuracy of Navy torpedos. But will anyone listen to a woman about such things?

REVIEW
This fabulously written book explores Hedy’s early life, her disturbing marriage, her glamorous Hollywood stardom and her brilliant inventions to help the Allies defeat the Nazi’s. But THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM is about so much more. My favorite part of this book is in fact, it’s concept. Author MARIE BENEDICT is passionate about shining a light on the hidden roles of women in our history and rewriting them back into the narrative. She has done an exceptional job at that here, as well as in her previous two novels: The Other Einstein (2016) and Carnegie’s Maid (2018).

I was drawn like a moth to a flame to this necessary and insightful book. The book reveals Hedy to be an amazingly strong and brilliant woman. She was a woman who knew how and when to stand up for herself. If this book isn’t on your reading list, it should be. She exudes perseverance and fortitude, and is a role model for us all. I listened to the Audible version of this book and Suzanne Toren’s narration brought Hedy’s voice to life.

Excerpt from Authors Note:
“Whether Hedy’s work on spread spectrum technology was purposefully disregarded or unconsciously forgotten, it appears that embedded in her oversight were misconceptions about her abilities; about all women really. Faulty assumptions about women’s capabilities....has caused many to think more narrowly about the manner in which the past has been shaped. But unless we begin to view historical women through a broader, more inclusive lens, and rewrite them back into the narrative, we will continue to view the past more restrictively than it likely was. And we risk carrying those perspectives over into the present.”

Publisher Audible Studios
Published January 8, 2019
NarratedSuzanne Toren
Reviewwww.bluestockingreviews.com

I've enjoyed several of Marie Benedict's novels in the past, and now I'm focused on reading the remaining ones. The Only Woman in the Room was next on my list, and it was quite the unexpected story. I'd heard of Hedy Lamarr, but I understood very little except that she was an actress from the Golden Age of films. I knew nothing of her Jewish Austrian heritage, her marriage to a Hitler/Mussolini supporter, nor the subsequent 5 other marriages or her interest in inventing secret codes during the war. What a treasure of a find with this book... and now I'm keen to watch a few movies that she's made.

The book was dynamic... from describing 1930s Austria to the alliances between Austria, Italy, and Germany, including the paths one could escape from such horror. It's eerie that I read this book now as Ukraine is feeling a similar wrath from Russia. To witness Hedy's terrors about her father's death and mother's inability to escape Austria for years... and beyond that, to understand how Hollywood had such a far-reaching stretch to Europe too. I often wonder how news traveled so fast, what people could do to find those who were missing--when there was no internet, GPS phone, or tracking. That's why I love historical fiction - it truly transports you to another time. Highly recommended.

Actress Hedy Lamarr was far more than a pretty face and actress. Author Marie Benedict gives some life to Ms. Lamarr’s off-screen ambitions as a scientist and inventor.

Born Hedwig (Hedy) Kiesler in Austria, Hedy was educated at a “finishing school”. Her father included her in his scientific observations. Her mother was a professional pianist who was particularly harsh to Hedy, worrying that Hedy’s father was spoiling her with his educational interests. Hedy’s father encouraged her to be anything she wanted, which was acting. Yet, he wanted to contribute political ideals along with scientific knowledge to young Hedy.

At age nineteen, Hedy attracted a powerful arms munitions dealer. Fritz Mandl was a commanding man who decided Hedy was to be his wife. Hedy’s father explained that she had no choice, that marrying Fritz could save her family and the Austrian Jews, for at the time Hitler was gaining power in Europe and Fritz was in the anti-Hitler camp.

Fritz became abusive and wanted Hedy only for her beauty. Her beauty became a strength, in that men of that time felt anyone that beautiful could only be intellectually dull. As a result, she was often the only woman in the room when politically powerful men discussed world order.

Hedy escapes Fritz and moves to Hollywood. Hitler continues his domination of Europe and Hedy decides she needs to make a difference. Because of information she gleaned from being with Fritz’s comrades, Hedy has an idea that could help the US Navy.

This is a story of men not taking ideas and inventions from women seriously. Ms. Lamarr received patents on her inventions, but she did not receive public acknowledgement, nor were her ideas used.

Author Marie Benedict is making her literary career writing about marginalized women in history. I am thankful for her pursuit because I do enjoy learning about events that historians miss. What I did miss in this read is more of Hedy’s scientific life. Benedict left out major scientific strides Hedy made, choosing to focus more on her early life.

Marie Benedict has introduced me once again to a fascinating historical figure. This excellent novel begins in the early days of newly appointed chancellor Adolf Hitler. It showcases the life and vast accomplishments of beautiful and intelligent Heidi Kiesler (aka Hedi Lamarr). An incredible and surprising life story that begins when as a young actress, she catches the eye of wealthy Friedrich Mandl, the renowned ‘Merchant of Death’ and Austria’s richest man. His charm during their whirlwind romance (seven weeks) was short-lived. After marrying Hedi, he becomes controlling and abusive. She eventually escapes from his “rules, locks and fury” but does not fade into the sunset. She goes on to make significant contributions in the world of invention and scientific achievements. Sad that as she neared the end of her life, things went awry.

A WOW of a book. In fact, I recommend reading all of Benedict’s books. A master at bringing fascinating historical characters to life. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Only Woman in the Room

This was an easy, and fast read for me. I’m intensely interested in early Hollywood, and so was quite ready for Hedy’s story. I thought.

I had no idea of her early romps that nearly sank her, and then the close years she has as one in the nazi leadership circles because of the wheeling and dealing of her husband. I was very impressed by her innovative way of escaping him and making her way to another life. In the story her ties to her Jewishness seemed to be lightly dealt with, and I wondered if that was really the way it was. . . .there were a few things post-reading research turned up were not true, and I wondered about how and if an author chooses such a move to be intentionally veering from truth or if it is a misstep. In any case, as the men come into her life it was hard to tell if she used them or they her – she was so very clever and tried so very hard to bend anyone’s ear who would listen.

Fully ¾ of the book is her first life and all the exciting bits of inventing and the many other inventions, along with the fights for her credit seems to slide off the back ¼ of the book. I would have liked to see that reversed. Less of Hitler and naked movies and more of the battle fought, and who stood in her way and why. I wanted more about George Antheil, and his role, the other guys who were important to her but not much mentioned.

I still want a bigger victory for this woman who felt she had to shoplift, when if she’d lived a few years might have been very wealthy and could have rubbed some noses in it. I would have liked a little more advocacy for that Hedy. The one who lasted until 2000.

Still thirsty.

I just found this generally underwhelming. I used to read a lot of historical fiction, but over the last couple of years I feel like every time I read a historical fiction novel, I feel like it lacks the depth I am hoping for. I'm not sure if it's just the books I've happened to choose lately, or if popular historical fiction is getting lighter.

The protagonist of this book, although based on an interesting real life figure, just fell a little flat for her. I feel like she lacked true emotional depth. Most of her decisions, thoughts and feelings traced back to a few underlying things. 1. She hates that everyone sees her as a pretty face and fails to want to know the person behind that facade, and 2. She feels guilty about a decision she made and wants to make amends. These are fine interesting character motivations, but everything came back to them, and the story, and her motivations started feeling stale very quickly.

I also would have liked a little more historical/political depth. Someone like Ken Follett does a good job of creating interesting characters and getting you really attached to them, and then immersing you in a historical period and really making you care. I have a history minor, and focused mostly on 20th century history in school, and when I read Follett's Century trilogy, I became truly invested, even though I knew what was going to happen. This one just lacked overall depth.

Review coming soon

Hedy Lamarr had an amazing life, and was much more than a beautiful actress. She lived with her Jewish family in Vienna when Hitler was threatening to invade Austria. She married an older, wealthy man, Fritz Mandl, who manufactured munitions. During her marriage she overheard conversations between military and political leaders from Austria, Germany, and Italy. They were unguarded in some of their conversations because they only saw her stunning beauty, and didn't realize she also had a brilliant mind. Hedy escaped from her controlling husband before the Nazis invaded Austria, and eventually came to Hollywood. In addition to acting, Hedy invented the concept of a torpedo steering system (using frequency hopping) with the help of George Antheil. She also supported the cause of the Allies by selling millions of dollars of war bonds.

This work of historical fiction is a fascinating look at a talented woman who had both beauty and intelligence. It also showed the plight of the Jewish Austrians who were targeted by Hitler, and Hedy's survivor guilt that she could not do more to help. "The Only Woman in the Room" covers a ten year period in Hedy Lamarr's life. I wished it had been longer to find out more about this interesting woman.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Booktrib, and The Girly Book Club for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the publisher.

"Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid."
-Hedy Lamarr

The Only Woman in the Roomis infinitely engaging, but woefully brief, coming in under 300 pages. Hedy Lamarr, a Jewish woman who married and Austrian arms dealer and eventually fled Europe during Hitler's rise to power, found fame and fortune as an actress in America. What she wanted more than anything, however, was for the world to see beyond her pretty face and for her intellectual efforts to be taken seriously.

While this novel is historical fiction, the woman it portrays was quite real. As much as I enjoyed the reading experience, I can't help but feel that, in the interest of brevity, hugely formative periods of her life which involved rapid change were glossed over rather quickly. Hedy Lamarr has been the subject of nonfiction books, a documentary (Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, which is available on Netflix) and there was a memoir published under her name but written by ghost-writers (Ecstasy and Me: My Life As a Woman). Those who are already quite familiar with Lamarr may not find anything particularly enlightening in this novel. If you are like me, however, familiar with Lamarr only through a vague awareness of her as an actress and inventor, this may be a great place to start. The documentary is a great follow-up to this novel, as it delves into Lamarr's later life, whichThe Only Woman in the Roomdoes not.

The Hedy Lamarr portrayed in Benedict's novel is deeply introspective; her attempts to help with the war effort are fueled in part by a sense of survivor's guilt. Her first husband, a man she agreed to marry mainly because she thought he would protect her, became quite abusive and aligned himself with Nazi interests when it became clear Austria could not stand against Hitler. When Hedy flees Europe, she initially throws herself into Hollywood without reservation. Benedict does an excellent job of portraying the slowly rising sense of guilt and anxiety which compels Hedy to alter the world as we know it, albeit not in the way she ever envisioned.

Hedy Lamarr's development of what she termed "Spread Spectrum Technology" is addressed briefly in terms of ramifications for today's technology in the author's note at the end of the novel. In short, her patent formed the backbone which allowed later inventors to develop all sorts of wireless technology, such as cell phones, fax machines, wifi, and more. Our daily lives are impacted today by her work, which was largely forgotten in favor of her silver screen accomplishments for most of her life. Benedict's novel attempts to draw the focus back onto Lamarr's intellectual excellence as opposed to the image of the ornamental damsel many may think of when they hear her name.The Only Woman in the Roomis artfully written and imbued with a sense of respect for its subject.

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Hedwig Kiesler is a young wealthy Jewish girl living in Vienna. She longs to be a famous actress but also is interested in science. Her father encourages her to pursue both. She is just gaining respect as an actress when she meets her biggest fan, Fritz Mandl. Mandl has quite a reputation with women and as an Austrian arms dealer. But Hedwig’s parents are concerned about the developing hatred for Jews and believes a marriage between Hedwig and Fritz will save them all. Once Hedwig marries Fritz, she realizes she made a terrible mistake and is imprisoned and abused by her controlling husband. She begins to listen in on conversations at their dinner parties and learns military secrets that she passes on to her husband, hoping to use those secrets to escape from him. Those secrets lead her to become an inventor of a unique radio-communication devise that may help win the war.

I was completely riveted by this book and found it fascinating. I well remember the actress Hedy Lamarr, having watched many of her old movies on TV when I was young. I also knew that this beautiful actress was also the inventor of a radio guidance system that was eventually used in the development of Bluetooth and Wi-fi. But this book opened up her world to me in such a mesmerizing way. The author has a talent for bringing her characters to life. Parts of this book read like a suspenseful thriller and I couldn’t put it down. Most impressive was the focus the author gave to the difficulties Hedy encountered when she presented her invention to the navy and it was refused simply because they said it would be hard for them to sell their soldiers and sailors on a weapons system created by a woman and that they weren’t even going to try. And this was decided when they had a faulty torpedo system in place. She was told that she would do better selling war bonds. I was so glad to read in a postscript that many years later, in the 1990’s, she was finally given recognition and awards for her invention.

Most highly recommended.

This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

When I finish a book and sigh at its amazingness, one of the first things I do is read its lesser reviews (there are always some) and try to figure out the disparity. As expected, there were few that were not glowing and those that were seemed to be disgruntled that there was so much more to Hedy Lamarr than what this book contained. The truth is, the woman was so fascinating that she could not possibly be contained in one book unless one wanted to read 700 pages. And that is rarely the aim of historical fiction - to be utterly thorough. Instead, my favorite historical fiction novels inspired me to want to learn MORE. And THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM did just that. Never did it seem to be the author's intention to tell the entire story from beginning to end - instead, it is a well-told snapshot of a very specific aspect of a multi-faceted woman. If that method introduces the tale to the wider world, then it's done its job. And does it well. This one was a page-turner for me and one that certainly had me doing more research as soon as I'd gotten to the last page.

DIDN'T DO HEDY OR HER STORY JUSTICE

Hedy Lamarr is one of the most interesting women in history. She lived during a most exciting time in history and had an impact in several fields. She was a complex and multitalented woman living an extraordinary live. Sadly, this book didn't do her or her story any justice.

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