| Author |
Pollack, Eileen |
| Year |
2016 |
| First published |
2016 |
| Number of pages |
384 |
| Edition |
First US Hardcover |
| ISBN |
9780062419170 |
| Keywords |
genetics, neuroscience, medicine (biomedical research), women in science, literary or mainstream, female scientist, scientist main character, FMS Library Book |
Abstract
A young researcher at MIT, Jane Weiss is obsessed with finding the
genetic marker for Valentine’s Disease, a neurodegenerative disorder.
Her pursuit is deeply personal—Valentine’s killed her mother, and she
and her freewheeling sister, Laurel, could be genetic carriers; each has
a fifty percent chance of developing the disease. Having seen firsthand
the devastating effect Valentine’s had on her parents’ marriage, Jane
is terrified she might become a burden on whomever she falls in love
with and so steers clear of romantic entanglement. Then, the summer
before her father’s second wedding, Jane falls hard for her future
stepbrother, Willie. But Willie’s father also died from Valentine’s,
raising the odds that their love will end in tragedy. When Willie bolts
at a crucial moment in their relationship, Jane becomes obsessed with
finding the genetic marker to the disease that threatens both their
families. But if she succeeds in making history, will she and her sister
have the courage to face the truth this newfound knowledge could hold
for their lives? A Perfect Life is a novel of scientific and self
discovery, about learning how to embrace life and love, no matter what
may come. Eileen Pollack conjures a thought-provoking, emotionally
resonant story of one woman’s brilliance and bravery as she confronts
her deepest fears and desires—and comes to accept the inevitable and the
unexpected.(Publisher)
