An absolutely fascinating book fiction book about childhood health and diseases. The author is a pediatrician who had been working for decades, and tells us about her historical research and personal experience of what were once common childhood ailments, like measles, scarlet fever and diphtheria. It is amazing to think about how within living memory we have moved from virtually every parent having to live with the expected death of a child, to a world where childhood death is thankfully incredibly rare. It really makes you realise how much we owe to sanitation, knowledge of germs and hygiene and vaccination to have changed our lives so fundamentally. The author did a great and very even handed job of explaining how vaccinations and the care of premature babies became contentious issues, and how both have changed family life. I read this book in one sitting, and although it might seem like a morbid subject, ultimately I felt uplifted by the massive progress we have made across the world in child life expectancy. A really great read.

First I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to review this book.

I am a registered nurse so I had a particular interest in this subject. Living in the days of modern medicine it is often difficult to truly appreciate the early milestones in medical progress, and make it all too easy to take those victories for granted.

The author has certainly chosen a topic that relevant to today’s medical culture. The fight against child mortality is something that healthcare providers all over the world struggle with today. It is a war with battles lost and battles won. I feel this book offers encouragement to all medical personnel, that though there are times we fail, there will be times we succeed. This is a powerful tribute to the hard work of those who have sought to improve the quality and longevity of humanity.

The author begins with an overview of the expectations and experiences of those a century or so; creating a strong start for the following chapters. The chapters and information are well-organized and with the subject matter clearly outlined.

The language used in the book is appropriate for both medical personnel and laymen, as the author takes time to explain anything that may cause confusion. Her thoughts are clear and concise, along with well-researched.

Overall I found this book to very interesting and found myself compelled to continue. I feel I learned a lot that I didn’t know, and received a good refresher on things I had previously studied.

Science writing done right

I loved everything about this book. Dr. Perri Klass’s excellent writing carried me along with her clever wording and some well placed humor. I couldn’t put the book down. Some parts of the book, where Klass discussed the bad old days, are absolutely heart-breaking but conversely, Klass explains how things have improved since then. The other aspect of the book I liked is that Klass puts herself into the story as we learn more about her and her journey. This book is an example of great science writing and is a must-read.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

Perri Klass from her first books has been a heroine of mine.So smart always open sharing her life her practice with us.This is a fascinating read an extremely timely look at the world of vaccines at how far we’ve come come..We learn to be thankful for vaccines as parents who know how they keep our children safe.With the search for a vaccine for COVID this book is a very important very timely,#netgalley#ww.norton

Perri Klass talks about the historical times and about all the ailments like measles and that have once plagued children when they were young. Some parts of the book were heartbreaking and and sad when delving into the past of childhood diseases and high child mortality rate. But it's also really enlightening seeing how far we've come, and realizing how much has changed due to the introduction of sanitation, hygiene, and vaccines. It's amazing the amount of progress that has been made, and as the title states, now is truly a good time to be born. I highly recommend!