Very nicely played science historical fiction. The protagonist, Kate Croft, based on geneticist Barbara McClintock, is a good character in her own right—prickly, obsessive, impulsive—and the book takes on a lot without being didactic: gender disparities in the scientific community during the first half of the 20th century, what is gained and lost in single-minded dedication to work, the ways that power structures in academia are entangled in personal relationships, and a tantalizing glimpse into the actual science. Not that I understood much of the last, but it's always fun to read bits in what's essentially a different language, just for context. Altogether a very interesting, smooth read, and definitely recommended to anyone who likes this sort of thing. ( )