Two divorces, alcoholism, shocking claims of abuse: Stephen Hawking's daughter on how 'a black hole swallowed our family'

Add to My Stories Share It was perhaps an unusual form of affirmation. But for Lucy Hawking, her fathers reaction as she read out part of a childrens novel over dinner at his Cambridge home was vital and thrilling.
I was reading a draft to him and he laughed so much he jumped out of his chair, she recalls. Two of his carers had to catch him and put him back.
'Thats when I knew he was hooked on the whole thing, that hed started to enjoy this.

Stellar family: Lucy with her father and co-author, physicist Stephen HawkingThis being a rather surprising father-and-daughter collaboration. For in recent years Stephen Hawking, the brilliant theoretical physicist, has co-authored a series of science-based childrens books with his daughter Lucy.
Thecosmic adventures of a little boy called George are global bestsellers that have been translated into 37 languages. The new, third book, GeorgeAnd The Big Bang, should enjoy stellar success too.

Thebooks have also marked a new chapter in the relationship between Lucy and Hawking, wheelchair-bound for decades owing to motor neurone disease.The peculiar mix of fame, physics and disability has often left his family including first wife Jane and sons Robert and Tim feeling, Lucy says, trapped in another chapter of the Stephen Hawking story.

A troubled new plotline began in 1995 when Hawking ended his marriage to Jane and married his nurse, Elaine Mason.
Stories later emerged suggesting Mason was abusive to Hawking. It was alleged he had regularly required treatment for unexplained cuts and bruises.

Second marriage: Professor Hawking married nurse Elaine Mason in June 1995Lucy was one of several people who reported her fears to the authorities but Hawking refused to co-operate, and the p! olice dr opped the investigation.Meanwhile, Lucy had her own troubles: the breakdown of her marriage to UN worker Alex Mackenzie Smith and the discovery that their young son William had autism.
In 2004, she checked into a rehabilitation clinic in Arizona to be treated for depression and drink problems.

Her father and Elaine divorced two years later, and Lucy does not want to dwell on the past.
It was a catastrophic time. I think as a family we had our own falling into a black hole moment, she says, finding a metaphor in the astronomical object central to her fathers work.
Part of coming out of that was to do something that had meaning. Working with Dad to write the books and inspire kids seemed a way of making a contribution.
The idea for the books arose at Williams seventh birthday party. Williams friends were all gathered around Dad asking questions Stephen, what would happen to me if I fell into a black hole? What would it feel like?
I realised this was how they could understand information, by making it relevant to them.

Early days: Professor Hawking in the seventies in a family picture with first wife Jane and children Lucy and RobertThe result was Georges Secret Key To The Universe, a cosmic adventure which mixes its action-packed story with child-friendly essays by Hawking and other boffins explaining sciences wonders.

With the follow-up, Georges Cosmic Treasure Hunt, and the latest instalment, it has proved a peculiarly successful formula.
Its tempting to assume Hawking had little to do with characters or plot, but Lucy insists he now plays a key part in the creative process.
In the first book he saw his part as consultant scientist, ensuring it was accurate and educational, she says.
By the second hed got into the swing of it. For the third he came up with the plot about a mysterious group who want to destroy the Large Hadron Collider and stop the s! ecrets o f the early universe becoming known.
'So he went from being quite teacherly to, What the hell, Im writing the story.

Working hard: Lucy has found success through the books she co-writes with her famous fatherThe writing process has been a bonding experience, with father and daughter meeting frequently over dinner at his Cambridge home.
Its been lovely for both of us.
'Iknow Dad never expected to work with any of his children professionally, least of all me because I was so firmly in the arts, so hes taken a great deal of pleasure from that.
For her part, the experience has reinforced Lucys pride in her 69-year-old fathers determination.
He has transcended his condition so successfully that people sometimes forget what he has to struggle against physically.Hawking relies on a muscle in his cheek to communicate, using it to fire an infrared beam attached to the arm of his glasses which in turn moves the cursor on a screen dictionaryhe uses to select words.

Itsan arduous process that now presents new challenges, Lucy says. His communication speed has slowed down as his cheek muscle has deteriorated. Thats very frustrating for him. Were looking into ways of finding a device that doesnt rely on that one muscle.

The reality of Hawkings physical limits contrasts poignantly with a character in the books: Eric, the father of Georges friend Annie, is a brilliant scientist and something of a version of Hawking as a young man before the onset of his disease.

The books have marked a new chapter in the relationship between Lucy and Hawking
There is a sense of recreating a past there, says Lucy. But I dont think its overwhelmingly sad. He doesnt see it that way.
'He loves the idea of an alter ego who actually gets to visit outer space rather than just thinking about it all the time.Having spent much of her childhood as a carer to her disabl! ed fathe r, the discovery of her sons autism was, Lucy says, a heavy blow.
When William was very small I was aware something wasnt right, but I just kept thinking it cant be, because lightning doesnt strike twice. Then when he was diagnosed with autism I thought, How? How is this possible? I felt quite angry.
The stress contributed in part to the breakdown of her marriage.

George and the Big Bang is the third book written in the series by Lucy and Stephen HawkingNow 13, William is thriving, Lucy says. He accompanied his mother to America when she took up a years residency as a writer at Arizona State University.
I knew upping sticks was unusual, particularly given Williams condition, but I was facing turning 40 in the town where I grew up and I wanted to ring the changes, she says.
Arizona has an exceptional autism research association so I knew we had back-up. And William loved it there. He played basketball and learned to ride like a cowboy. He really gained in confidence.
Returning from America in June, she and William set up home in London, although they still see Stephen regularly. Grandfather and grandson share a sweet, uncomplicated bond.
In America we had a day out to Universal Studios with Dad, says Lucy. William was holding on to Dads wheelchair like a little bodyguard. He has no concept at all of my father as famous what he understands is hes in a wheelchair. He was just looking after him.
It is an image that must, a few years ago, have seemed impossible. Dad has this thing he talks about in one of his lectures, that black holes arent as black as theyve been painted, says Lucy.
His discovery was that you can get out of a black hole. At the end of the lecture he says what it all adds up to is, if you find yourself in a dark place, dont despair, because there is a way out. I always think of that as a nice way of putting what has happened.

George A! nd The B ig Bang, by Lucy and Stephen Hawking, is published by Doubleday at 12.99.
To order your copy at the special price of 10.99 with free p&p, please call the Review Bookstore on 0843 382 1111 or visit MailLife.co.uk/Books.