The Other Einstein: A novel

The narrative flashes forward to 1898. Mileva returns to Zürich, where her friends at the pension welcome her warmly. She worries about returning to the Polytechnic and facing Einstein again because, “My reputation as a serious student was everything. Women scientists didn’t get second chances” (95-96). She attends her first class of the term with the same group of men from her prior term there. Professor Weber is dismissive of her time in Germany. After class, Einstein approaches Mileva. He apologizes for not responding to her letter and is happy to see that she wants to put the past behind them and start anew. He walks her to the library, where he passes on his notes from the term she missed so she can catch up on her missed classes. He assures Mileva that he won’t pursue her romantically again, but he’ll be waiting for her if she ever changes her mind.

Albert joins Mileva at her pension for one of their concerts, but the other girls are absent. Mileva finds Helene with a gentleman caller, Milivoje Savic, a Serbian chemical engineer. Mileva is astonished by his presence because Helene always vowed not to marry and was disappointed by Mileva’s burgeoning relationship.