| Frankie must get to know the owner of a disreputible gambling den in order to find her missing sister. In reviews and summaries I have seen Frankie described as "math-obsessed" and "such a math wiz that men run from her". I also know that at one point she teaches the casino owner's ward to count cards.
I have not read this book and am not sure if there is enough math in it to justify including it in this list of mathematical fiction, but am including it here in any case because it is part of an intriguing trend. This is yet another historical romance about a "mathematically inclined" woman in the 19th century who must endure a "rakish" man, until they fall madly in love. (See list of similar works below for more examples of the same idea.) It is interesting to me that this idea is so popular with readers of the romance genre as to have been repeated so many times. I wonder if it is because there are many romance readers who are themselves interested in mathematics, or if it is because they like the fact that a female mathematician in that period so clearly breaks stereotypes.
If you have read this novel and would like to share your thoughts, please write to let me know.
|
