Synopses & Reviews
In 1944 a groundbreaking operation repaired the congenital heart defect known as blue baby syndrome. The operationand#39;s success brought the surgeon Alfred Blalock international fame and paved the way for open-heart surgery. But the technique had been painstakingly developed by Vivien Thomas, Blalockand#39;s African American lab assistant, who stood behind Blalock in the operating room to give him step-by-step instructions.and#160;and#160;The stories of this medical and social breakthrough and the lives of Thomas, Blalock, and their colleague Dr. Helen Taussig are intertwined in this compelling nonfiction narrative.
Review
andquot;A gripping look at a major medical breakthrough.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus
Synopsis
In 1944 an unprecedented surgical procedure repaired the heart of a child with blue baby syndromeand#8212;lack of blood oxygen caused by a congenital defect. This landmark operation opened the way for all types of open heart surgery.and#160;The team that developed it included a cardiologist and a surgeon, but most of the actual work was done by Vivien Thomas, an African American lab assistant who was frequently mistaken for a janitor.and#160;
About the Author
TRACY KIDDER graduated from Harvard University and studied at the University of Iowa. He has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Award, and many other literary prizes. The author of
My Detachment, Mountains Beyond Mountains, Home Town, Old Friends, Among Schoolchildren, House, and
The Soul of a New Machine, Kidder lives in Massachusetts and Maine.
MICHAEL FRENCH has published twenty books, including fiction for adults and young adults, biographies, and art criticism. He has adapted many acclaimed adult works for young people. Michael French divides his time between Santa Barbara, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.