An Imperfect Lens

November 21, 2005
Cholera arrives in Alexandria in 1883, followed by an intrepid French research team sent by Louis Pasteur to find and identify the "swimming monster." In this riveting account of a public health crisis and the (then) cutting-edge science that aimed to save countless lives, Roiphe (Secrets of the City
) blends fact with fiction to bring historical scientists to life. The team includes Louis Thuillier, whose exacting professional persona belies a romantic side; compassionate veterinarian Edmond Nocard; Emile Roux, much respected, if a bit rough around the edges; and their fun-loving young assistant, Marcus. The Frenchmen race rampant death—and the German Dr. Robert Koch, who discovered the cause of tuberculosis—to find the cholera microbe. Roiphe weaves a love story within the urgent scientific mission, providing Thuillier with an object of affection in Este Malina, the intellectually curious daughter of a Jewish doctor. Este admires the medical passion of the French scientists, Thuillier in particular, and the two fall in love when she begins assisting in their lab. Against Alexandria's vibrant backdrop, Roiphe infuses her richly textured, propulsive story with a sense of doom brought by a microscopic enemy.

January 15, 2006
In 1883, cholera swept through Egypt, prompting biologist Louis Pasteur to send a team of scientists headed by Louis Thuillier to Alexandria in search of the microbe responsible for the deadly disease. Veteran novelist Roiphe ("Secrets of the City") sheds light on a less well-known chapter in the history of medicine in this complex, multilayered tale. The natural history, gruesome symptoms, and seemingly indifferent nature of cholera are described in painstaking detail. As the disease sweeps through the city, Thuillier and his team harvest samples, design experiments, and pore over endless slides. As if this material weren't thrilling enough, Roiphe adds a poignant love story that pairs the pragmatic Thuillier with the poetry-dazzled Este Malina, who serves as the French team's lab assistant. Subplots involving class, religion, and colonialism round out the narrative, which will no doubt please fans of literary romance and historical fiction. Recommended where literary fiction is in demand." -Leigh Anne Vrabel, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2006
Commissioned by an aging Louis Pasteur to identify and isolate the cholera microbe and "bring glory to France," an eclectic band of young researchers arrive in plague-stricken Alexandria in 1883. Set loose in this exotic locale, these novice scientists face a daunting task as pestilence and disease ravage the city. In addition to racing against time and famed German scientist Dr. Robert Koch, the team members face multiple political, cultural, and romantic distractions. Roiphe does an incredible job of painting paradoxical portraits of collective fear and coolheaded reason as she painstakingly reconstructs the life cycle of a deadly epidemic. This authentically detailed blend of fact and fiction gift wraps the history of an astonishing medical and scientific breakthrough inside an irresistible love story, providing a little something for everyone across a wide spectrum of readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)