Her Space, Her Time

How Trailblazing Women Scientists Decoded the Hidden Universe

By: Shohini Ghose

Narrated by: Asha Vijayasingham

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

"A vital, intimate chronicle of the indomitable women science pioneers who fought to better understand the universe." —Chris Hadfield, astronaut and #1 bestselling author

One of Canada's leading physicists celebrates the many, groundbreaking women scientists who came before her—unsung explorers of the cosmos who both discovered the fundamental rules of the universe and challenged social rules, yet whose names remain largely unknown to us.

Her Space, Her Time shares the stories of women in physics and astronomy whose work expanded scientific understanding yet whose accomplishments are often overlooked—creating a thrilling account of scientific discovery, inspirational leadership and persistence in the face of overwhelming challenges. In shaping her narrative around the science that fascinated them and the social context in which they worked, award-winning quantum physicist Shohini Ghose champions these remarkable women’s contributions, which loom even larger given the misogyny and discrimination they faced.

Ghose's canvas stretches from the 19th century to the present and includes many women whose work led to Nobel Prizes that were ultimately awarded to men. Among this list of impressive scientists: Henrietta Leavitt and Margaret Burbidge, who helped discover the big bang and the cosmic calendar; Anigaduwagi (Cherokee) aerospace scientist Mary Golda Ross, who helped make the Moon landings possible; atom splitter Lise Meitner; Bibha Chowdhuri, who discovered two fundamental particles; and Harriet Brooks—a Canadian physicist whose impact on radioactivity research was compared to Marie Curie’s, but who felt that marriage, not science, was the choice she had to make.

Engaging and inspirational, Her Space, Her Time is threaded through with Ghose's own experiences in science—women in STEM still face the same kind of challenges her subjects encountered—and driven by the imperative to make the invisible visible, ensuring that the names of these women who pursued science against all odds will never be forgotten.

©2023 Shohini Ghose (P)2023 Random House Canada

Critic reviews

This book is a vital, intimate chronicle of the indomitable women science pioneers who fought to better understand the universe. Shohini Ghose, an accomplished physicist herself, not only brings these women’s stories into the light, she brings them to life." —Chris Hadfield, astronaut and #1 bestselling author

"Her Space, Her Time is a captivating book that honors and highlights a wonderful selection of women who broke boundaries and challenged conventions in science and society." —Donna Strickland, professor of physics, University of Waterloo, and co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics

"This carefully researched collection of important scientific contributions by women will inspire a new generation of young women to consider a career in science." —Arthur B. McDonald, Queen’s University Gray Chair Emeritus, 2015 Nobel Physics Laureate

"This book is a vital, intimate chronicle of the indomitable women science pioneers who fought to better understand the universe. Shohini Ghose, an accomplished physicist herself, not only brings these women’s stories into the light, she brings them to life." —Chris Hadfield, astronaut and #1 bestselling author