Mapping Fate: A Memoir of Family, Risk, and Genetic Research by Alice Wexler

Memoir of a family living under the shadow of the genetically transmitted Huntington's disease, two of whose members become prominent researchers in the quest for a cure.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
Mapping Fate is a compelling memoir that successfully addresses the anguish, guilt, denial and mystery associated with terminal illness in a family, and the various ways that family members deal with it. Huntington's Disease is the subject of the book, but I think that people who have experienced devastating mental and physical illnesses in their own families will find many familiar and elegantly described emotions. I found the personal reflections and the story about the effect of this illness on the family most gripping. The search for the gene and ultimately a treatment is covered as well, and is very interesting but a bit more detached. Wexler has done an admirable job balancing introspective memoir writing with reporting on advances in scientific research.