Marie Benedict

Includes reading group guide with discussion questions.

The Only Woman in the Room

Celine

Francesca Starecheski

The only woman in the room is often the only person that matters.

Sara

The story of Hedy Lamarr is one that fascinates me on another level. Her life was WILD and this book does a great job of showing her inner conflicts (the intimate relationship she had with many members of the Nazi party and Mussolini, her conflicting roles as a sex symbol, a Jewish immigrant, a mother, wife, and scientist). 

I loved this book, but I found it lacking in the second half. I wish it would have dived into more of her later years— her drug addiction, multiple marriages, the loss of her fortune and fame, the relationship she had with her children, the constant attempts to be taken seriously as a filmmaker in Hollywood, and the years she spent producing and starring in films centered around strong historical women in order to give women a voice in the film industry. Her life was so deeply sad, and I think that those extra details would have fully made this book a true masterpiece of storytelling. 

If you are interested in learning more about Hedy and her life, the Netflix documentary BOMBSHELL (dir. Alexandra Dean) does an absolutely fantastic job telling her story.

That being said, this book was still deeply moving and had me crying at the end. The powerlessness that Hedy feels as the trophy wife of the most powerful man in Austria is beautifully mirrored by her futile attempts to convince the military implement her invention into the United States Army. Hedy is a beautiful woman, but her beauty comes at a price. While it gets her far in her career as an actress, it is the very thing that impedes her from achieving her goals and being taken seriously in both the film industry and on the Inventors Council. Honestly, I could go on and on about the endless juxtapositions that occurred in the life of Hedy Lamarr, but it would make this review 10 pages long.

Overall, I think the most amazing thing about this book is that it’s all true. While a few minor liberties were taken (it has been stated that while Hedy probably never hosted Hitler in her home, she did in fact host Mussolini), THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM is a true story. Hedy Lamarr was a real woman who lived in absolutely fascinating life. This book will take you on a wild ride and suck you in. I am so glad I decided to pick it up.

Melissa Schwartz

More like a 3.5, but not quite a 4. It wasn’t bad, it just had really slow points and then ended very abruptly. Hedy Lamarr apparently has an autobiography though, which goes deeper into her life and I would be interested in reading it.

*I had no idea this was based on someone real named Hedy Lamarr. Never heard of her until this book, and the book description is horrible.

I wish it had been made a little more clear that this was based on someone real, and that it would have a very shallow look into the character.

It's a weird book, because you can tell the author wants to write a young woman maturing over the course of the story, but has shackles on about what can be fictionalized. You have to be a little more careful with real people, especially since Lamarr had a book ghostwritten for her during her life which ended up to be largely false information inserted by the ghostwriter.

This might be spoilerish ahead, but it's based on the woman's life, so I don't think there can really be "spoilers" if you've read even the Wikipedia on her.

It just fell so flat! You think you're going to see a daring escape and chase, but nothing seems to happen. You think you're going to see a woman take on the government for her invention, but it barely fizzles. It ends on a brand new chapter in her life, leaving you wondering why you're still reading. She tries to get a final chapter of "oh, this was self discovery all along, I found "redemption" that I wanted," however very little was ever referred to this throughout the work.

I just wanted more, more, more.

Kathy

This was a great book about the famous Hedy Lamarr. I had to google her to see what she looked like. Beautiful, smart and an amazing woman. My mother-in-law remembers her and said she was very glamorous. 

Put this on your must read list. Very easy read.

Jan Talkington

My January book club selection. I wanted to love this book. What an interesting story it promised to be. While there were glimpses of headed that way, I felt a little let down when I finished. I wanted more details, especially about Ms Lamarr's inventions. We did have an interesting discussion and afterwards I watched the Netflix documentary - Bombshell - which filled in some of the blanks.

Melanie 

The New York Times and USA Today Bestseller! She possessed a stunning beauty. She also possessed a stunning mind. Could the world handle both? 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, understanding 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 knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis...if anyone would listen to her. A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication, The Only Woman in the Room is a masterpiece.

The Only Woman in the Room

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