Book Review: Rosalind: one woman did the work, three men took the glory, by Jessica Mills

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Rosalind Franklin knows that to be a woman in a man’s world is to be invisible. In the 1950s science is a gentleman’s profession, and it appears after WWII that there are plenty of colleagues who want 

to keep it that way.

Jessica Mills brings to life the true story of the often troubling world of Dr Rosalind Franklin, a brilliant scientist who played a key role in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Rosalind is a first person account of the relentless sexism and discrimination that Rosalind faced during her career, 'like Joan of Arc, fighting for égalité'.

I should not be surprised by the patronising attitudes of her mostly male colleagues, but Jessica Mills weaves a masterclass in immersive storytelling around the detailed science of the discovery. I found the casual remarks about her hair and dress disturbing, and she notes, 'it seems to be only men who comment freely on a woman's looks, as if they are fair game'.

Even more shocking is when we see how Rosalind must tolerate the blatant stealing of her scientific work by men who should know better, some even presenting her words as their own. 

Rosalind Franklin at work, 1955 (Wikimedia)

Inspiring and thought-provoking, Rosalind will leave you with a new appreciation for the contributions of Rosalind Franklin and other women to scientific discovery, and is an important reminder of the challenges that women in science had to (must still?) overcome.

I particularly liked the occasional flashbacks to Rosalind's life during the war, and how even her father thought she should work as a 'land girl' for the war effort. Her war work for the Coal Board improved the effectiveness of respirator filters, and set her on a path which would lead to new discoveries in DNA and RNA.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 was awarded to James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for their discovery of the molecular structure of DNA.  Rosalind's contribution was briefly mentioned by Maurice in his acceptance speech as 'very useful' and covered up for many decades.  

I found myself wondering if the account has since changed. An internet search shows "crucially important X-ray crystallography work by English researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, contributed to Watson and Crick's derivation of the three-dimensional, double-helical model for the structure of DNA."

I highly recommend Rosalind: One Woman Did the Work, Three Men Took the Glory to anyone interested in learning more about the history of science and the role that women have played in it.

"At times like this, when you lose everything that you ever knew to be true, all you can do is drive forwards to keep the ghosts at bay."

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Jessica Mills is a journalist and author. She has written for publications such as The Independent, The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider, where she investigated the use of flammable cladding in hospital intensive care units in 2020. She spent several years as an editor at Dow Jones, where she led the team that uncovered the misuse of funds at the  Abraaj Group, and was a member of the steering committee for Women at Dow Jones. Her debut novel tells the true story of Rosalind Franklin, the invisible woman behind the discovery of DNA’s double helix. It was longlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize 2020. Find out more from her website https://www.jessiemillsauthor.com/ and find her on Twitter @Byjessiemills

Disclosure: I am grateful to the publishers, Legend Press, for a review copy of Rosalind