It is 1914, the eve of the First World War. Mileva Einstein, née Marić, has just arrived in Berlin with her two young sons to join her husband, the most celebrated scientist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein. He has finally found a university position worthy of his talents.
Writing a novel based on historical records, Slavenka Drakulić creates a credible and actual character of the person who was assisting Albert Einstein, whom he forsook over another woman. A brilliant mathematician, destined for the greatest scientific achievements, who never gave up, but set her own ambitions aside for the sake of her husband’s. Theory of Sorrow is an interior portrait and an attempt to understand the decisions, actions, and ultimate trajectory of this woman.
The novel about Milena Einstein is a novel of sorrow, of how to cope with misfortunes in life, how to live and survive, how to be a woman and not lose a sound mind.