First published 1993
Simon Flexner grows up in crushing poverty as the son of German Jewish immigrants in Kentucky. He never finishes eighth grade, yet teaches himself enough to arrive at Johns Hopkins University before its famous medical school even exists. There he begins making scientific discoveries that propel him toward becoming America's foremost young medical researcher. Meanwhile, Helen Thomas follows her own path toward their eventual meeting. Flexner discovers the "Flexner bacillus" and develops the "Flexner serum," achievements that establish his reputation. He becomes the founding director of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research and rises to lead American medical science. James Thomas Flexner chronicles both family lineages in this documentary narrative, tracing the backgrounds of his own parents through their separate journeys toward marriage. The story captures two lives shaped by ambition, education, and the promise of America itself.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, american, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, self-made-man
Setting: Kentucky, Johns Hopkins University, Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century
494 pages · Paperback · Fordham University Press