Miriam is the first female surgeon at her hospital in Kovno, a position made possible by her innate skill for medicine paired with intense tutoring (and some personal sacrifice) from her fiance, Yuri. Her brother, Vanya, is one of the great mathematical thinkers of the time, puzzling out relativity at the same time as Einstein. Despite their sizeable talents, the siblings are convinced that the best choice for them is immigrate out of Russia to the United States, something that is becoming increasingly difficult for Russian Jews on the eve of World War I. Vanya is convinced that if he is able to photograph the upcoming solar eclipse — which will illustrate his not-yet-complete equation perfectly — he'll be able to secure passage to the U.S. for his sister and their grandmother, as well as himself. But when all able-bodied Jewish men are conscripted to the Army before he can complete this task, Vanya's plan goes sideways and the family is suddenly on the run in search of safety and science.
I read this book on the recommendation of a long-time patron, and I'm glad I did. Barenbaum's debut novel beautifully weaves together stories of physics and impending war, religious persecution and love, medicine and betrayal. I'd recommend it for fans of All the Light We Cannot See.
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