The Only Woman in the Room

by Marie Benedict

Hedy Lamarr—best known as a stunningly beautiful actress—was much more than just a pretty face. Lamarr’s cleverness helped her escape Nazi Germany and her first husband, “The Merchant of Death.” Her brilliant mind brought knowledge of Nazi scientific secrets to the United States, where she developed a comprehensive theory of frequency science that laid the foundation for many wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth.

Books for 2025–2026

• September 10, 2025: The Only Woman in the Room, by Marie Benedict

• October 8, 2025: The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon

• November 12, 2025: The Burrow, by Melanie Cheng

• December 10, 2025: The English Experience, by Julie Schumacher

• January 14, 2026: Hester, by Laurie Lico Albanese

• February 11, 2026: James, by Percival Everett

• March 11, 2026: Where Rivers Part, by Kai Kalia Yang

• April 8, 2026: Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here, by Jonathan Blitzer

• May 13, 2026: The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich