The Only Woman In The Room by Marie Benedict
(Format used for this read: Print)
I missed my monthly book club last month because I was out of town…but to be 100 percent honest, I didn’t mind skipping that read🤣….it was some kind of romance that seemed a bit Lifetime movie-esque and as yall know I am not really about that kind of life.
The pick this month though was MUCH more to my liking…and as soon as I read what it was about, I knew it wouldn’t only be an intriguing book for me to read, but a GREAT one to discuss with my girls as well.
Here is the summary:
“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 and understood 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 had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis and revolutionize modern communication…if anyone would listen to her.
A powerful book based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist, The Only Woman in the Room is a masterpiece that celebrates the many women in science that history has overlooked.”
Before reading this book, all I knew about Hedy Lamarr was that she was a legendary actress in the “Golden Age” of Hollywood.
I knew she lit up the screen with her dark haired beauty alongside handsome costars such as Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Stewart.
That’s about it. 🤷♀️
But she was SO MUCH MORE than just another pretty face captured on film.
In fact, EVERY HUMAN BEING ON THE PLANET is so much more than what their surface physical appearance presents.
Never judge a book by it’s cover….and for that matter, never UNDERESTIMATE that book either.
Hedy was born in Austria to Jewish parents and her birth name was Hedwig Kiesler. She got into acting in her late teen years and became a young theater star. This is where she met her first husband, Fritz, who was a manipulative, abusive asshole to put it lightly. 😑
Trigger warning: Domestic abuse is mentioned and described in this book.
Reading about the mistreatment and pain he inflicted upon Hedy for years was just AWFUL to read about….the author is not graphic about the abuse, but she IS detailed. I know this was necessary to tell the complete and true story of the horrible life Hedy experienced with him, but it’s still heart wrenching to read.
Hedy clings to her inner strength during these years and tries desperately to cling to her true self that is buried deep within.
When Hedy finally DOES manage to escape, she comes across Louis B Mayer, head of MGM studios. Because of her breath taking beauty, he sees dollar signs, and she manages to negotiate a tremendous film contract. He also gives her a new “non German sounding” and “not Jewish” name so as not to offend American audiences 😑 Hedy Lamarr is born.
In case yall don’t know much about Hollywood history, I will take a second to fill yall in that Louis B Mayer was a controlling misogynist who tried to “own” the starlets he signed. The shit he did to young women was ATROCIOUS…and disgustingly enough, not uncommon of big wig studio moguls back then…and even still NOW. This is only touched on briefly in the book but still important to know in regards to Hedy’s story.
Hedy refused to back down to Mayer, even when she knew it could cost her career progress, which she admitted DID happen in a real life interview later in her life.
She was always type cast into roles as a glamorous seductress of “exotic origin.” Isn’t that some bullshit that her true heritage was not to be honored or revealed…in fact it was required to be HIDDEN…but her mysterious and unidentified “other-ness” wasn’t only accepted but PRAISED. 😑
Another steaming pile of bullshit in her career was that even though her acting talent was tremendous, what her roles primarily focused on was her jaw dropping beauty. And that’s it. Her time on screen many times amounted to a miniscule number of lines to speak or actual acting to perform and instead her minutes were spent just looking gorgeous and tantalizing. And again… 😑
Women being valued strictly for their beauty has been part of our society since forever….and what is even CONSIDERED beautiful has been defined for just as long by the white, straight male American gaze.
YUCK.
YUCK.
YUCK.
Before I get off on an entire feminist tangent, let me reel myself back in.
Okay…so Hedy Lamarr was a successful Hollywood actress.
BUT…she was also SUPER FRIGGIN scientifically intelligent, yall.
She used to come up with various inventions as a HOBBY.
But nobody ever took her seriously because she was a WOMAN. And not only that, but an EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL woman who happened to also be an actress.
Her innovative ideas were ground breaking and world changing…but got pushed to the side because of her physical appearance.
A woman being drop dead gorgeous AND insanely smart? How could that even be possible? And women INVENTING things? How outlandish is THAT?!?
Ugh.
😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣😣
In the book, one of Hedy’s HUGE inventions was the discovery of an early version of frequency-hopping spread spectrum communication, which she patented with her friend and coinventor, George (who was a musical composer). Her motivation for this was finding new ways to defeat Germany in WWII. Information she overheard from Nazi engineers and scientists at dinner parties where she was only seen and used as “arm candy” for her first husband aided her in her development. (See….underestimating the intelligence of a woman can cost you BIG TIME!!!)
Random tibit: Guess what THAT invention is the foundation for in modern day? Our cellphones.😱
The author did her research in how Hedy and George were able to develop this concept together as a solution to torpedoes communicating in a new way and it was fascinating to read about. ALTHOUGH….I admit that some of the descriptions of the principles went WAY over my head, as God did not bless me with a scientific mind IN THE LEAST BIT POSSIBLE.
Again, though….Hedy’s brain power was bypassed because of her physical appearance. Her gender and her beauty did not fit the box of what was considered intelligent, valuable and even scientific.
SO DAMN FRUSTRATING.
Because this is the story of just ONE woman who has been overlooked in history for these reasons.
And we all know there are so many MANY more.
In the Author’s Note at the end of the book, she says this:
“Perhaps if Hedy’s society had viewed her not simply as a blindingly beautiful creature, but as a human being with a sharp mind capable of significant contributions, they might have learned that her interior life was more interesting and fruitful than her exterior…..If only people had been willing to look behind ‘the only woman in the room’ to examine the person she was beneath, they might have seen a woman capable of greatness, and not only on the screen.”
May we all learn from the huge, horrible mistakes, prejudices, biases and oversights that have been done in the past and in the present.
Nobody’s worth should be based on their outward physical appearance. And nobody should be underestimated because of it either.
May we always fight for EVERY ONE to have their FULL HUMANITY be seen, honored, respected and valued.
Because we ALL miss out on greatness when we don’t do that.
Absolutely recommend this book.
I spent time looking up more info on Hedy after I finished these pages because I was so fascinated by her story.
Yall know how I do.🤷♀️
If I’m running to Google to read more about what I just read, that is an indication of a book well written and worth reading.
Definitely looking forward to chatting about this with my book club gals tomorrow evening!
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