Mapping Fate: A Memoir of Family, Risk, and Genetic Research (Paperback)

by Alice Wexler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
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.

From The Washington Post
"[Mapping Fate is] made of heartbreak but so full of fascinating information of every kind that it has the extraordinary power to transcend pain. . . . This is an intense, beautiful, serious book. It reminds us that life can be awful, but that human beings carry the capacity to be heroic beyond measure."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 319 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (December 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520207416
• ISBN-13: 978-0520207417
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #367,356 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, frank and courageous account of genetic illness, January 19, 1999

By A Customer

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accurate and humane, January 28, 2000

By A Customer

This book provides an insider's account of the exciting scientific effort that resulted in isolation of the Huntington's Disease Gene. It is both exhilerating and sorrowful - encompassing the emotional experience of a family member watching the unfolding of a story with significant personal implications.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Info, April 17, 2006

By	Katherine M. Rudoff - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wexler tells an incredible story of both the personal and medical aspects of HD. She takes the time to explain the important biological and genetic background, while not overwhelming you with useless facts. She does a wonderful job explaining the pain of having a family member with HD, while not soley focusing on their struggles. I learned a lot about HD through this book, and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the disease and its biological basis.