In January we met at the round table at Marco's.
Attendees were Julie, Nancy, Sarah, Kathy, Marsha, Betsy,
Madeleine and Nettie. Everyone had read the book and loved it.
Gina Kolata is a science reporter for the times and studied
Molecular biology at M.I.T at the graduate level.
Her book is about a family who discovers they have a
genetic illness which is caused by a mutated gene in the brain.
It is a very debilitating disease. Many of the family members
are doctors and because of their research and that of
the scientific community they are able to identify
which family members have the mutated gene although
no cure is available. Some family members do not want to know
while one daughter, Amanda who is positive for the gene does not want to leave her
future to fate. She wants to have a family but does not want to
produce children who could have the disease so she embarks
on an expensive fertilization in vitro process where embryos created
from her eggs and her husbands sperms are tested for the mutated gene.
There are religious moral issues here as mutated embryos are discarded.
She is successful in bearing three healthy kids who will not get
the disease though she knows she will eventually have it.
It is a medical mystery as well as a story of hope against fate while
intertwining a human family drama.
Though a good part of the book is very technical and full
of scientific terminology it is very engrossing.
Betsy chose a book called "Florence Gordon" by
Brian Morton as the next read. March 25th was tentatively
chosen for the next meeting.
Sarah's book was
