My Sister Rosalind Franklin

by Jenifer Glynn

Rosalind Franklin is famous in the history of science for her contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA, the start of the greatest biological revolution of the twentieth century. Much has been written about the importance of her part, and about how her work was affected by her position as a woman scientist. Above all she was a distinguished scientist, not only in her work on DNA, but also in her earlier work on coals and carbons and in her later work on viruses. In this family memoir her sister, the writer and historian Jenifer Glynn, paints a full picture of Rosalind's life. Looking at Rosalind's background; her early education, her time as a science student at Cambridge, and her relations with her family, to her life as an adult and her time in Paris and at King's, Glynn shows how much her sister achieved and how she was influenced by the social and intellectual climate of the period she worked in.

Genres: Science, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Adult

172 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Will Ansbacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice companion to Brenda Maddox’s definitive biography. It portrays Rosalind Franklin from her family’s perspective, through letters home, etc. There is not a lot of new material that wasn’t in Maddox’s book, but it emphasizes a point that’s often missed since James Watson’s miserable character assassination in The Double Helix – namely that RF wasn’t trying to be some early poster-girl for feminism but was simply a very successful scientist, and one who really enjoyed her family life.
She never found out how badly she'd been double-crossed by Watson, Crick and Wilkins of course; but the only overt hostility she encountered in her tragically short working life was from Wilkins.

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Rosalind Franklin's crucial yet poorly acknowledged contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA is so unfair that, she slowly became over the last decades a kind of icon -a female scientist battling against a sexist world, not only in science but in society at large as well. Challenging such a simplistic and (as it is) distorted view, her sister Jenifer Glynn tries here to show us 'what she was like as a person'. Thus, if we still meet a woman incredibly talented, determined, hardworking and passionate, open to intellectual challenges and debates, a lot of cliches surrounding her are nonetheless brushed asides (she HAD the support of her family, she was NOT a bore sacrificing her social and romantic life to science, she NEVER was resentful towards her male colleagues Crick and Watson etc.). Very brief, by clearing up the myths surrounding her such personal account in fact renders Rosalind Franklin more accessible, without diminishing in any way how truly remarkable she was. A nice and quick read.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and lovely family memoir portraying the full and personal life of Rosalind, not just her profound contributions to science. A gem of a book, a wonderful companion to Brenda Maddox’s definitive biography that I own.

[Mizuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally admire Rosalind Franklin since I've read Watson's Double Helix when I was an undergrad and it really affects my carrer. I found this book from somewhere- I don't remember where but it was a great reading, especially about Rosalind's life, from her sister's view.

["The Jo" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that provides much information about Rosalind Franklin's family life and personal history that I was not familiar with.

[Maritere Domínguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've all heard about "the forgotten heroine of DNA" but the end of this book made me realize she's no longer forgotten. Although it's infuriating what Watson did with her reputation on his book, it's a bit comforting that she never knew what they saw. She even admired them for arriving to the double helix because her results pointed exactly to that conclusion. As this narration of her life made me notice, there are a lot of "ifs" surrounding Rosalind's story.

By reading this, I identify myself a lot with this amazing scientist, both for her love for adventure and interesting vacations and for her practical- scientific mind.

It also shows the most common crisis and doubts that as students we've all been (or are going) through; the stress of where to focus our research, the depression of not liking a working place and the sadness of leaving a perfect working place due to lack of opportunity when you're a foreigner. It also reflects how important social and mental health are for personal growth.

Since this book is written by her sister, I presume Rosalind is represented as her truest self. I just would've liked more opinions or perceptions from the author, but it's understandable due to the age difference between them.

Although the narration is a biographical one, it is very easy and entertaining to read. I finish this book with yet another role model.

[Salim Khursheed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this after reading Anne Sayre's book. Anne's I felt was better written, but Anne's wasn't meant to be a biography about Rosalind, it mainly documented the events of 1950-1952 and critiqued Watson's The Double Helix. This book is the opposite, it is a biography that doesn't dwell on those years or the injustice. It is more about who Rosalind was, how she felt, how she grew up. Despite not being a biography reader, I found this very compelling. It felt like meeting someone, despite the someone being dead for about 60 years now. Wonder how Rosalind would feel about the fact that 60 years after her death, people wanted to meet her. I enjoyed reading her thoughts and her outspokenness. The more I read about her, who she was, what she did, the more inspiring she feels. This book is great for grounding her, and yourself as a reader. Taking down the idea of Rosalind being an idealistic martyr, she was just a person with hobbies and friends and struggles like everyone else. It's easy to see great scientists as something beyond us, something otherworldly, when you only read about what they achieved and changed, but that's not all they were, they were much more than their achievements, they were normal people who worked hard, us normal people reading this can become a great scientist like them if we work hard, because we are all alike

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

From time to time a book comes along that makes you reassess what you have been told. This little 172 page gem, written by the sister of Rosalind Franklin, gives a rounded picture of a lady who has been overlooked somewhat in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Rosalind herself comes over as a vivacious woman, just as happy climbing mountains at dawn, or cycling through French countryside as she was refining her techniques for X Ray diffraction. What I hadn’t know was her work in carbon, and understanding how graphites worked, led to our current development of plastics; nor how her subsequent work on tobacco mosaic virus and how its RNA winds around the middle core. Her work on the DNA structure, the leaking of materials (although “had Watson taken better notes at her lecture he would have had the same information a year earlier” !!) and her subsequent airbrushing out during the 60s is dealt with quickly and much more time is given over to her subsequent reinstitution and recognition.
Well worth reading.

[Exokiwi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. Rosalind Franklin is a heroine of mine. One of the great examples in science to look up to as a young girl finding my way int a male dominated science field. Rosalind Franklin and her role showed me it could be done.

The writing style is easy and engaging. The story is very sympathetic and because it is written by her younger sister yo sort of feel as if you are listening to your grandmother, sitting in a chair reminiscing about her big sister. Het big sister that happens to have been a great scientist that has had a major impact on many fields of study.
Personally I find that a much admired scientist becomes human.
I would have loved to have heard more in this form. There is so much love oozing off the pages. A wonderful book, albeit too short.

[Sleepy Chicken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this after reading Anne Sayre's book. Anne's I felt was better written, but Anne's wasn't meant to be a biography about Rosalind, it mainly documented the events of 1950-1952 and critiqued Watson's The Double Helix. This book is the opposite, it is a biography that doesn't dwell on those years or the injustice. It is more about who Rosalind was, how she felt, how she grew up. Despite not being a biography reader, I found this very compelling. It felt like meeting someone, despite the someone being dead for about 60 years now. Wonder how Rosalind would feel about the fact that 60 years after her death, people wanted to meet her. I enjoyed reading her thoughts and her outspokenness. The more I read about her, who she was, what she did, the more inspiring she feels. This book is great for grounding her, and yourself as a reader. Taking down the idea of Rosalind being an idealistic martyr, she was just a person with hobbies and friends and struggles like everyone else. It's easy to see great scientists as something beyond us, something otherworldly, when you only read about what they achieved and changed, but that's not all they were, they were much more than their achievements, they were normal people who worked hard, us normal people reading this can become a great scientist like them if we work hard, because we are all alike

[Maduvanthi Venkatesan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adored this book. A lovely insight into one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century from the perspective of a loving sibling. Especially loved reading Rosalind Franklin's letters, so beautifully collected and arranged

[Luciano Arantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosalind Franklin is more than The Double Helix and Photo 51

An intimate account of Rosalind’s life and scientific achievements, written by her younger sister. Worth reading to all who wants to know about Rosalind from her own letters and her sister views.

[Max Ó Floinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

🧬

[Marissa]

Very interesting read

[Margaret Crampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very readable book giving a personal view of Rosalind Franklin: a brilliant scientist whose work was crucial to the unravelling of the structure of DNA. At the time she did not get the credit she deserved. Watson and Crick received the Nobel prize for their contribution. Rosalind died tragically young of ovarian cancer but achieved so much in her short life. Anyone who reads the Double Helix should also read this book.

[Kirsty Lennon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this biography. Told by her sister, it relates the story of this scientist through a series of letters and articles. A very good read