Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Mercies in Disguise by Gina Kolata - Available

Mercies in Disguise

A Story of Hope, a Family's Genetic Destiny, and the Science That Rescued Them

by Gina Kolata
Andrea Gallo
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
New York Times science reporter Gina Kolata follows a family through genetic illness and one courageous daughter who decides her fate shall no longer be decided by a genetic flaw. The phone rings; the doctor has the results. "Are you ready Amanda?" The two people Amanda Baxley loves the most had begged her not to be tested. But she had to find out. If your family carried a mutated gene that foretold brutal illness and you could find out if you inherited it, would you do it? Would you confront it, accepting whatever answer came? Or ignore it while you could? In Mercies in Disguise, acclaimed New York Times reporter and bestselling author Gina Kolata tells the story of the Baxleys, an upstanding family in small town South Carolina. Many of them were doctors, but still, they are struck down by an inscrutable illness. Finally, they discover the cause of the disease after a remarkable sequence of providential events. Meanwhile, science, progressing for 50 years along a parallel track, handed the Baxleys a question-not a cure, but a blood test that would reveal who had the gene for the disease. Science offered another dilemma-fertility specialists had created a way to spare the children. A work of narrative nonfiction in the tradition of the The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Mercies in Disguise tells the story of a family that took matters into its own hands when medicine could not help. It's a story of a family dealing with unspeakable tragedy without being driven apart. It is the story of a young woman-Amanda Baxley-who faced the future, determined to find a way to disrupt her destiny.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 21, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781501945397
      • File size: 245493 KB
      • Duration: 08:31:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      If your family carried a deadly genetic mutation, would you want to know if you inherited the gene? Narrator Andrea Gallo gives this well-researched account of the discovery of prions and the devastating diseases caused by their mutated forms the feel of a medical thriller, engaging listeners from the first moment. The story focuses on the Baxley family, which is affected by a fatal neurological disorder that attacks victims in middle age. Gallo's empathetic performance conveys the horror of the disease and the agonizingly complex emotions and ethical decisions young family members must struggle with as they plan their futures. Gallo's clear diction and impeccable sense of pacing hold listeners' attention through the sections dealing with medical history, bringing the personalities of the researchers to life. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 23, 2017
      Kolata (Flu), a science journalist for the New York Times, shares the gripping story of how one South Carolina family has dealt with Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease, a deadly and untreatable genetic illness. Her wonderful presentation of cutting-edge biomedical research offers insight into some of the scientists who carry it out while exploring the struggles and unhappiness of patients and their families. Kolata also examines a host of intractable ethical issues associated with the disease: Should individuals be tested to determine whether, sometime in the future, they will fall victim to the flaw in their genome, knowing that no palliative treatment is possible? Should embryos be genetically tested and those with the variant gene discarded? The family Kolata follows is devoutly Southern Baptist, which provides the opportunity to consider the myriad ways religion and science interact in such complex situations. Observing the familial interactions and the manner by which different individuals process the same information proves fascinating. The book’s only real flaw derives from the overwrought manner in which every action, whether mundane or medically critical, gets raised to crisis level. Kolata’s book reads like a medical thriller and readers will be caught up in the lives of the protagonists. Agent: Katinka Matson, Brockman Inc.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check out what's being checked out right now