What We're Reading Now: Cathy

A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer

The story opens at America's entry into WWII. Life photographer Claire Shipley is doing a story on penicillin research. The magazine decides not to run the story, which frustrates Claire. Then the US government steps in to speed up the research and production of the new wonder drug and all of the development becomes top secret. The development of this drug is personal to Claire - she lost her daughter to blood poisoning - and so she begs to be allowed to follow the story even though it can't be published until after the war is over. Her love affair with Dr. James Stanton who is in charge of the research is rocky as he is sent all over the country and overseas to test the drug on the troops. In the midst of all this, Dr. Stanton's sister, Tia, a penicillin researcher, is murdered. Was she killed by German or Japanese spies or for a more personal reason? The world without penicillin, without anti-bacterial drugs, is a very different one from ours today. Men died from a cut on the knee and the death rate of the troops from infections was appalling. Lauren Belfer brings this era to life.