The Woman with the Cure

By: Lynn Cullen

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

"Huge applause... women have always been in science—despite those who would pretend otherwise.” --Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

She gave up everything — and changed the world.

A riveting novel based on the true story of the woman who stopped a pandemic, from the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe.

In 1940s and ’50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one’s life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world’s best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god.

But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor –often the only woman in the room--she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood.

This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine—and to decide what is forgivable, and how much should be sacrificed, in pursuit of the cure.

great listen

can not imagine writing a book about a pandemic during a pandemic, Lynn Cullen has written an incredible story with all the angst and emotions! I found myself so angered because of the culture and medicine of the time and yet so elated with Dorothy's triumph! It was a great audiobook!

sience and the struggle to do no harm

I like the sience background and human intrest stories, that told about personal life of the main caracters.

Very informative

I enjoyed the history and historical facts brought to light and this era. Many women are still looked at by society and the person behind the male. Overall a good read!

A Great woman’s story!

I enjoyed the writing, the characters were well developed and easy to imagine. I loved this book!

Interesting and informative

This book made me realize how little I knew about polio. The politics and sexism in scientific research are well described, and sadly little has changed in 70 years.