The Family Gene
A Mission to Turn My Deadly Inheritance into a Hopeful Future
1 of 1 copy available
When Joselin Linder was in her twenties her legs suddenly started to swell. After years of misdiagnoses, doctors discovered a deadly blockage in her liver. Struggling to find an explanation for her unusual condition, Joselin compared the medical chart of her father—who had died from a mysterious disease, ten years prior—with that of an uncle who had died under similar circumstances. Delving further into the past, she discovered that her great-grandmother had displayed symptoms like hers before her death. Clearly, this was more than a fluke.
Setting out to build a more complete picture of the illness that haunted her family, Joselin approached Dr. Christine Seidman, the head of a group of world-class genetic researchers at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Seidman confirmed that fourteen of Joselin's relatives carried a brand new genetic mutation, making them the first known people to experience the baffling symptoms. Here, Joselin tells the story of their gene: the lives it claimed and the potential of genomic medicine to save those that remain.
A compelling chronicle of survival and perseverance, The Family Gene is an important story of a woman reckoning with her father's death, her own mortality, and her ethical obligations to herself and those closest to her.
"Both congenial and engaging, despite the long shadow of a broken gene." —New York Times Book Review
"An invaluable addition to the literature that dramatizes severe illness and its impact." —Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Moving and deft." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
November 21, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780062378927
- File size: 2027 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780062378927
- File size: 2077 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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