Mosquito Song

Dreams in Old San Juan

By: J. J. Brown

Narrated by: Marnie Karger

Length: 1 hr and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

After an unborn baby's mysterious death, a New York City molecular biologist travels to Puerto Rico to investigate. Fears of a new pandemic mosquito virus haunt her plans and nightmares. Her next DNA experiments reveal a personal stake in a future she is not ready to accept.

©2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 Jennifer J Brown (P)2023 Jennifer J Brown

Hauntingly Beautiful: A Scientific Journey Through

This captivating story masterfully intertwines the complexities of human emotion with the profound forces of nature. Set against a backdrop of scientific exploration, it delves deep into the fears and wonders of a New York City molecular biologist venturing into Puerto Rico. Her mission, sparked by the mysterious death of an unborn baby, quickly evolves into a gripping narrative about the potential outbreak of a new mosquito-borne virus.

The book's imagery is both bright and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the kinetic dance between humanity and nature. Its lyrical and sometimes poetic prose beautifully underscores the fragility of human existence against nature's awe-inspiring power. Remarkably, the story's prescience, written before the COVID-19 pandemic, resonates even more profoundly in the wake of our global experience, blending scientific acumen with the soulful insight of an artist.

At its core, this is a love story that celebrates life, exploring the far-reaching impact of our choices and the interconnectedness of all things. The storytelling is rich and tender, giving even the mosquitoes a voice in this intricate tapestry of life. The narrative is both unsettling and haunting, taking the reader on a mystical journey through the protagonist's thoughts and dreams, where spirits and disease-carrying mosquitoes lurk.

JJ Brown's background as a molecular biologist adds a layer of authenticity to the story, enriching it with her deep understanding of genetics and DNA. The audible version, narrated beautifully by Marnie Karger, enhances the experience, making it a smart, moving, and thought-provoking listen. This book is a testament to the power of storytelling in bridging the gap between science and the human heart.

A Beautiful Story!

The imagery was bright and evocative.

The story interplayed beautifully a kinetic, human-nature dynamic and I think makes a beautiful, lyrical, and at times poetic case for the fragility of humanity against the awesome power of nature and its layered magnificence.

It’s particularly compelling to me, and I’d say prescient, that the story predated Covid. The author’s scientific understanding meshes brilliantly with an artist’s soul and savvy, making for a compelling, moving, witty, image-rich, and heartfelt read.

At heart, this is a love story that celebrates life.

BEAUTIFUL RICH STORYTELLING

This exploration of a scientist’s relationship with a rapidly spreading virus is eerily relatable after what we all went through with COVID-19. And this story was written well before that. It’s rich in evocative imagery and there’s a tenderness to the storytelling too. Even the mosquitoes have a voice. It highlights how the consequences of our choices have a ripple effect far beyond the moment, and in ways we cannot control. Highly recommend listening to this story! Its an enjoyable journey.

Lyrical, unsettling, and haunting

JJ Brown, a fellow writer, is also a published molecular biologist with a PhD in genetics, so her knowledge of DNA and genetic science gives depth and richness to this haunting novella about a young New York City scientist, who flies to Puerto Rico to pick up fetal tissue in hopes of studying its genetic makeup to determine the unborn baby’s cause of death. She is terrified of Zika virus and mosquito hosts, so much so that they haunt her dreams.

The reader is taken on a bizarre and mystical journey through Antonios thoughts, and dreams, where she is haunted by spirits and deadly disease carrying mosquitoes. When she returns from Puerto Rico, she faces not only the results of her lab tests, but the consequences of her own actions. The author’s deft and vivid handling of the details of both physical and psychological place are impressive and well done.

I read this novella soon after it came out, but this new audible version is beautifully narrated by Marnie Karger. It is smart, moving, and deeply thought-provoking.