Guest review by: Becki Bayley
“I wondered if it would ever be possible for a woman to work alongside a man and be considered his equal partner.”
“Are you thinking of becoming an engineer and working with Carl?” she said, her eyes twinkling.
“No, of course not,” I replied, accepting how implausible it would seem to anyone to think of me as Carl’s partner in the workshop. Did that prohibit me from revealing how I shared his dream, though? If not, what was it that stopped me from telling Ava how important the motorwagen was to me, not just as Carl’s wife but as Bertha, the woman who was intrigued by ingenuity and the business thereof and who worked alongside Carl in the workshop whenever possible?
Bertha Benz was a wife and mother, and potentially a brilliant inventor who recognized the impossibility of a woman being recognized for her contributions. Sometimes it seemed even she herself didn’t believe how capable she might be.
Official synopsis:
From a young age, Cäcilie Bertha Ringer is fascinated by her father's work as a master builder in Pforzheim, Germany. But those five words, which he wrote next to her name in the family Bible, haunt Bertha.
Years later, Bertha meets Carl Benz and falls in love―with him and his extraordinary dream of building a horseless carriage. Bertha has such faith in him that she invests her dowry in his plans, a dicey move since they alone believe in the machine. When Carl's partners threaten to withdraw their support, he's ready to cut ties. Bertha knows the decision would ruin everything. Ignoring the cynics, she takes matters into her own hands, secretly planning a scheme that will either hasten the family's passage to absolute derision or prove their genius. What Bertha doesn't know is that Carl is on the cusp of making a deal with their nemesis. She's not only risking her marriage and their life's work, but is also up against the patriarchy, Carl's own self-doubt, and the clock.
Like so many other women, Bertha lived largely in her husband's shadow, but her contributions are now celebrated in this inspiring story of perseverance, resilience, and love.
Not a lot of facts are known about Bertha Benz and her daily life with her famous husband, Carl Benz. The author of this historical fiction does a stellar job filling in the blanks of how spunky Bertha must have been, knowing about her substantial contributions to her husband’s invention, her shared passion for his motorwagen project, and their relationship.
The note of a truly enjoyable historical fiction might be the inability to separate the history from the fiction. Several of the side-stories of personal situations or social events lent this quality to the story of the life of Bertha Benz with Carl Benz. A few pieces of correspondence are featured through the story that give support to the facts of their life, and some relationships just fit with who the characters may have been when they weren’t being documented.
Overall, the story was so interesting and earned 4 out of 5 stars. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like without cars now, and reading the skepticism they encountered during its development was eye-opening. The book could be recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction, especially from the mid-1800s, and learning the stories of a powerful and inspiring woman.
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Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading, writing, and taking care of her family. Check out more of what they’re all up to on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.
