How did you come up with the idea to write The Physicists’ Daughter? What most excited you as a writer about telling Justine’s story?
When I heard that World War II was called “The Physicists’ War,” my first thought was “Of course, it was!” So much science was being done during those years, with radar, sonar, rockets, the atomic bomb, and more being developed literally as the war was happening. It made me think that there must be fascinating stories to tell about that period of time from the point of view of the scientists behind the scenes. I have also always been interested in the lives of women during that time as they were thrust into roles that had been denied to them. They had to step up under enormous pressure, while continuing to meet their responsibilities at home, and all the while they knew that they would be pushed aside when the war was over. When I imagined one of those Rosie-the-Riveter women as a scientist whose specialized knowledge of the secret work that she was doing told her that she was being lied to, I knew I had my story.
How did your scientific background inform the content of the novel?
I had so much fun delving into the workings of the real-life top-secret project that was the model for The Physicists’ Daughter. The drawings for that project are, astonishingly enough, now available on the internet for anybody to read. I have always believed that science is for everybody, so it’s important to me to interpret it in a way that is accurate yet also entertaining and understandable to the lay reader. I can describe to you the path of two ion streams in a magnetic field, or I can compare it to a rainbow. The rainbow immediately puts the image that I want in the reader’s mind, so that’s how I have Justine perceive it.
Who was your favorite character to write? Why?
I love Justine. She’s a truth-seeker, completely without guile, and she is capable of absolute love. Still, it’s hard for me to use the word “favorite.” I’m always fascinated by characters who say things I don’t know they’re going to say, and in this book, that’s Georgette. And then there are the spies. When I’m writing in their point of view, they reveal their depths, but when I’m writing from the point of view of the person they’re manipulating, they button everything down. It’s a very special challenge to write about a chameleon because the person still has to be a consistent human being. There are some lies that even a spy won’t tell.
What are you reading now?
Sisterhood of Spies by Elizabeth P. McIntosh, who was a spy for the OSS during World War II. I’m reading it as research for Justine’s next adventure.
What’s next for you in your writing?
I’m sending Justine to Washington, DC, where the government desperately needs her skills as a code cracker.