I am haunted by the sister who was sent away after her mother died. We are wrangling with the ethics of the stem cells, and the horrors of what happened to the handicapped offer a real perspective on medical practices and morality. It shows how important it is to be a patient advocate on so many levels.
The sister’s story is tragic, that’s certain. But so little time was spent on it that I don’t think I felt particularly drawn to her. I thought the description of what happened to her, exactly, was too vague–perhaps deliberately so–and I need more details to fully understand. Maybe I wasn’t paying sufficient attention in that section.
I’m more interested in the history of research performed on the handicapped than in the sister as a character in this story. Does that make sense? Sounds morbid. My interest comes more from working with mentally disabled people than from the sister in the book.
Deborah really grew on me. I don’t think I especially liked her at first, but as I began to understand her perceptions and mental condition, I came to like her better. She had her trust betrayed so often, I can see why it took her so long to trust Rebecca, and why that trust was so tenuous.
You know, Rebecca Skloot is a character in this story, too, and I find her intriguing. The monumental effort that went into this book is awesome and commendable, and what she ultimately gave Deborah and the Lacks family (among others) is a gift beyond measure. I think the impact is portrayed best in the change in Zacharia. The impact Rebecca had on Deborah is no less, certainly, but not so clearly visible.
In the end, though, I think the character I am most intrigued by is George Gey. His enthusiasm and resourcefulness inspire me and make me want to know more about him and how he accomplished what he did. How did he build such sterile labs by himself? What possessed him to keep trying despite failure after failure after failure after failure? I admire that optimism and persistence. I think Rebecca had to have a lot of that, too.
I am not slicing onions, but my eyes Are hurting. My head Is hurting, my heart is hurting, my temperatur is tested. And I really like this Book. To me it is about love, devotion and a lot more. I am not Finished tet, so I will answere a bit late on the Book club postings. Sorry about that. I cannot do speedreading with science and sences ( like in sence and scensability) and feelings in this kind of mix- and all in english 😉 several of the caracters Are coming into the picture, and I have two people I am found of at this early state…
I really enjoy beeing part of this Book club, Even though I feel slow in reading and answering. But you know I do my best 🙂
Feel free to comment anytime, Harriet. Normally, I get emails when someone comments, so I can alert others. Lately, there have been hiccups in those emails. I missed two comments recently.
When we get the new site, we’ll be able to subscribe to comments via email.
Short and sweet. Personal question time: What character were you intrigued by the most in this book and why?
I am haunted by the sister who was sent away after her mother died. We are wrangling with the ethics of the stem cells, and the horrors of what happened to the handicapped offer a real perspective on medical practices and morality. It shows how important it is to be a patient advocate on so many levels.
The sister’s story is tragic, that’s certain. But so little time was spent on it that I don’t think I felt particularly drawn to her. I thought the description of what happened to her, exactly, was too vague–perhaps deliberately so–and I need more details to fully understand. Maybe I wasn’t paying sufficient attention in that section.
I’m more interested in the history of research performed on the handicapped than in the sister as a character in this story. Does that make sense? Sounds morbid. My interest comes more from working with mentally disabled people than from the sister in the book.
Deborah really grew on me. I don’t think I especially liked her at first, but as I began to understand her perceptions and mental condition, I came to like her better. She had her trust betrayed so often, I can see why it took her so long to trust Rebecca, and why that trust was so tenuous.
You know, Rebecca Skloot is a character in this story, too, and I find her intriguing. The monumental effort that went into this book is awesome and commendable, and what she ultimately gave Deborah and the Lacks family (among others) is a gift beyond measure. I think the impact is portrayed best in the change in Zacharia. The impact Rebecca had on Deborah is no less, certainly, but not so clearly visible.
In the end, though, I think the character I am most intrigued by is George Gey. His enthusiasm and resourcefulness inspire me and make me want to know more about him and how he accomplished what he did. How did he build such sterile labs by himself? What possessed him to keep trying despite failure after failure after failure after failure? I admire that optimism and persistence. I think Rebecca had to have a lot of that, too.
I am not slicing onions, but my eyes Are hurting. My head Is hurting, my heart is hurting, my temperatur is tested. And I really like this Book. To me it is about love, devotion and a lot more. I am not Finished tet, so I will answere a bit late on the Book club postings. Sorry about that. I cannot do speedreading with science and sences ( like in sence and scensability) and feelings in this kind of mix- and all in english 😉 several of the caracters Are coming into the picture, and I have two people I am found of at this early state…
I really enjoy beeing part of this Book club, Even though I feel slow in reading and answering. But you know I do my best 🙂
Feel free to comment anytime, Harriet. Normally, I get emails when someone comments, so I can alert others. Lately, there have been hiccups in those emails. I missed two comments recently.
When we get the new site, we’ll be able to subscribe to comments via email.
Better days are coming!