A world without Marie Curie is it possible?

 

Half Life by Jillian Cantor 

Paperback, 416 pages Published March 23rd 2021 by Harper Perennial

What would have happened if Marya Sklodowska (Maria Curie) had not travelled to Paris in 1891 but remained in Poland? This is the question in Jillian Cantor’s ‘Half Life’.

What could easily become a mess as you cross between two different stories with the same central character is deftly handled by Cantor. By giving Curie a sliding doors moment in time allows Cantor to explore the woman and the scientist in this fictionalised account of her life. Curie in both her guises is well realised on the page and has slightly different characteristics. That makes the switch easier and engaging.

As the woman who remains in Poland and marries mathematician, Kazimierz Zorawski, Marie is still there but as Marya her ability to learn and follow her scientific pursuits is severely curtailed. You can feel her frustration ooze off the page that she knows as a woman she is there to support her husband achieve his goals. Her husband is not overly keen on Marya continuing her education and shows quite disdain when she starts a secret University for women to continue their studies.

As Marie you see the scientist but also the woman is reviled in greater detail. The focus on proving herself in a world of men is front and centre but again Cantor allows us to see a woman trying to juggle love, family and career.

I was not sure how this would given the complexities in telling two different stories but in the same time period but to Cantor's credit it does. I was never lost or confused about which historical Marya/Marie I was reading about and I found both women to be highly engaging. It is a unique twist to take a well known historical character and ask the question 'what if' they never caught the train. The question for the reader is which version of Marya/Marie's life do you prefer?

If you would want to find out more about Jillian Cantor head over to her website.