

She fails her final exams, shutting down her prospects for elite research jobs, but her exams are not her only problem. Because neither family approves of their union and Einstein is unemployed, Mileva returns to Serbia to hide her pregnancy and give birth. Meanwhile, the relationship deepens, and the couple has sex, resulting in Mileva’s first pregnancy. He has a difficult time securing a good job because his reputation with his professors is fraught they find him uncouth and unorthodox. However, when she returns to her university in Zürich, they officially start dating.īecause of Mileva’s term in Germany, Einstein graduates before she does. Scared of her feelings for him and worried that she will lose her career over a man, Mileva decides to spend a term auditing classes in Germany to avoid him. Einstein admits he has feelings for Mileva and kisses her. In the 19th century, there are few, if any, role models for women who pursue both marriage and career. Mileva starts to feel torn between her group of female friends and her growing affection for Einstein.

She also develops a friendship with Einstein and his group of male friends, including the engineer Michele Besso.

On her first day of class, she meets a young man named Albert Einstein, who pursues her for her brilliance.Īs her first year of school in Switzerland continues, Mileva develops deep friendships with the other women at the pension. Upon her arrival, Mileva is immediately impressed by the like-minded young women in her boardinghouse, who pursue academia without shame and with sisterly support. Mileva moves from Serbia to Switzerland to attend school, but she must prove herself equal to men in a sexist and patriarchal society. The novel opens in 1896, when women were typically not allowed to pursue higher education. Mileva Maric is a gifted young woman whose aptitude for mathematics and physics earns her a coveted spot in a prestigious university in Switzerland. This guide quotes the 2016 Sourcebooks Landmark edition of The Other Einstein.
