“Einstein in the Attic” by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri

Einstein in the Attic

Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri
Independently Published (2022)
ISBN: 979-8410620048
Reviewed by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views (02/2023)

Einstein in the Attic is a novel that tackles the long-written question of evolution in terms of the age-old argument between religion and science. I began reading with the expectation that the topic had been overdone and, therefore, it would be the same-old-thing. Boy, was I wrong! This debut novel is absolutely wonderful and well worth reading as the question is tackled in a completely new and mesmerizing way.

This is the story of Adam Reemi, a scientist, who is out to question the religious aspect of creation versus the scientific aspect of creation in order to learn more about himself. The beginning of the novel shows us Adam as a young boy living with his family in Lebanon. This is a family with a strong belief in God and, as the family has to flee from a war-torn country and Adam deals with so many true hardships, his belief in a real and merciful God is shaken to the core. What follows after is Adam’s tale. He becomes a scientist and, with the help of a colleague, develops a scientific power that makes him question himself, and even more, his beliefs. Along the way he obtains “help” from some of the greatest scientific minds the world has ever seen – such as Einstein and Newton – as they enter his attic and bring with them a lot of education, suggestion, and may I say, incredible humor. Of course, as with any truly great novel, not everything goes according to the plan and Adam finds himself in the expected race against time to answer questions or suffer the fate of losing everything.

Einstein in the Attic is simply wonderful. The writing is descriptive and perfect and the characters… Adam, his friends, his family members, his colleagues… are each so well-written and bring so much to the story in their own specific and special ways. The dialogue throughout the novel is extremely well-done and very real. I cannot say enough about the incredible dialogue moments between Adam and Einstein in his attic. These are by far the most wonderful and truly humorous parts of the book and I found myself laughing out loud. Simply marvelous. While the scientific information brought forward in the novel, which in many cases I do not admit for a second that I can understand, is confusing and hard to grasp, it never for a moment takes away from the excellent writing or slows the reader down. I feel that is a talent in the writing all on its own.

This is a story that I recommend to all. It is educational, questions the characters and, I am guessing a lot of the readers, faith and beliefs, all while being exciting, emotional, heartwarming, and at times downright hilarious. I was completely engaged throughout and I’m sure everyone else will be as well. I cannot wait to see what comes next from these authors and I am sure that it will be just as fabulous. 5 Stars!!