A Fierce Radiance

A Fierce Radiance
By Lauren Belfer
Harper, 2010. 532 pgs. Historical Fiction

Who knew a mystery/romance/historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of the development of penicillin during World War II could be so interesting? Claire Shipley is a photojournalist for Life magazine and a single mother whose family history includes a daughter who died from a scratch and a father who abandoned her when she was young. Sent to capture the treatment of a dying man with penicillin, a drug that has not yet saved one person, Claire finds herself emotionally invested, knowing this drug might have saved her daughter. Claire also meets Jamie Stanton, one of the doctors researching penicillin, and they begin a relationship.

The story on penicillin and Claire’s involvement in it is the beginning of a race against time, drug manufacturers (including Claire’s father), and the U.S. government. In war, motives and desires change and Claire begins to realize that what she thought about her own morals, and those of others, might change due to the unusual circumstances. This is a great look at the development of penicillin and a new view of the home-front during World War II.

MN