Celebrating the Publication of “Sisters in Science”
“Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escaped Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History” is out now!
The day has finally arrived and Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escaped Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History is officially out in the world. Signed copies are available online at Newtown Bookshop. It’s also available on Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Please request it at your local library! The pitch:
The extraordinary true story of four women pioneers in physics during World War II and their daring escape out of Nazi Germany
In the 1930s, Germany was a hotbed of scientific thought. But after the Nazis took power, Jewish and female citizens were forced out of their academic positions. Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer, and Hildegard Stücklen were eminent in their fields, but they had no choice but to flee due to their Jewish ancestry or anti-Nazi sentiments.
Their harrowing journey out of Germany became a life-and-death situation that required Herculean efforts of friends and other prominent scientists. Lise fled to Sweden, where she made a groundbreaking discovery in nuclear physics, and the others fled to the United States, where they brought advanced physics to American universities. No matter their destination, each woman revolutionized the field of physics when all odds were stacked against them, galvanizing young women to do the same.
Well researched and written with cinematic prose, Sisters in Science brings these trailblazing women to life and shows us how sisterhood and scientific curiosity can transcend borders and persist — flourish, even — in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Recent Appearances and Press
- Unsung History podcast
- Totally Booked with Zibby podcast
- Talk Louisiana radio
- The Diane Jones Show, KLPW Radio
- Los Angeles Times Opinion piece
- Publishers Weekly starred review and “review of the day”
- Bookshop.org Top Releases of the Week
- Write Now Philly interview
Praise/Blurbs
“A deeply researched account of four pioneering scientists and their escape from Nazi Germany. These women were extraordinary in their field and left a legacy that transcends borders and will inspire countless generations to come.” –Kate Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Radium Girls
“A true story of passion and grit, Sisters in Science honors the pioneering women physicists who fled Nazi persecution, only to confront sexist treatment and new challenges in America. Campbell celebrates their prowess and resilience with admirable skill.” –Jason Fagone, bestselling author of The Woman Who Smashed Codes
“Sisters in Science is the moving true story of how four women physicists managed to elude the fate Hitler had in store for them and lived to enrich their adopted countries and the world. We owe them thanks for their bravery and brilliance, and thanks, as well, to Olivia Campbell for bringing this heroic story to light.” –Liza Mundy, New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood
“A captivating story of wrenching struggle and bittersweet victory. This is the truth of women’s contributions to physics in a time of momentous breakthroughs, their work against overwhelming odds, and their contributions to opening doors for the next generations of women scientists.” –Mari K. Eder, author of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line
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When Oppenheimer came out, I was deep into writing my book, but I just had to pause and pen a piece about Lise Meitner, her absence from the film, and how I’d rather celebrate her for being brave enough to say “no” to building a bomb.
More About Me
Olivia Campbell is the New York Times bestselling author of Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine and Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escaped Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History. Signed copies are available online at Newtown Bookshop.
A seasoned journalist and essayist, her work centers on women’s history, science and health as it relates to women, nature/environment/ecology, quirky pop psychology, and the intersections of all these areas.
Campbell is a thesis advisor for her alma mater, Johns Hopkins University’s science writing program, and a freelance editor at Parents magazine and Everyday Health. She’s the resident “science of folklore” contributor at National Geographic. Her work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Guardian, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Aeon, and History.com, among others. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband, sons, and cats.
Find out more on her website.
