Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is the memoir upon which the beautiful movie The Theory of Everything is based. This is the story of the early life and first marriage of the multiple award winning physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking told by his first wife, Jane. Most of the world is aware that Hawking is a victim of Lou Gehrig's Disease, but few (fortunately) understand what that struggle entails for the victim and his loved ones. Jane Hawking does us an enormous service by describing how she, Stephen, their three children, their extended family and friends, and the larger world coped (or failed to cope) with the demands of a chronic, debilitating illness. When Jane met Stephen in the early 1960s he was already beginning to suffer the early effects of his illness. Jane married him in 1965 aware that he was predicted to live no more than two years. Improbably, he not only lived but was able to develop his revolutionary theories on black holes, write a best selling book, and travel widely. Much of the credit for his flourishing career must go to Jane's extraordinary devotion and ingenuity, which is even more remarkable when we learn that she earned her own doctorate in Spanish medieval poetry at the same time she kept her husband alive and raised three happy, healthy, children. Jane's story is an intensely moving and always interesting one. She describes the issues of dealing with a loved one's chronic illness on top of the normal difficulties of keeping a marriage and family going, giving credit where it is due to the many people who assisted her and also assiging blame where it is needed: unresponsive bureaucrats, caregivers who are anything but,and well meaning but clueless busybodies. I could understand why her pain at her marriage's ending was mixed with some feeling of relief, and was glad when both she and Stephen eventually reestablished friendship and some degree of reconciliation. Above all, I was glad that this very strong and good woman has been able to find new love and a new life.