While this book was interesting, it was very much based on the science behind the story rather than the actual story. I have a healthcare/science background so it kept my attention at first but at about 30% I DNF’d this. It was just heavy and you had to think to listen about genetics works when I want an escape when I am listening. I can see how it might be a great story for many people. It just was not for me. Thank you for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

“The story of Li Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) and more broadly of cancer research isn’t one story but two. It is both a heartbreaking story of family loss and an inspiring story of scientific achievement.” These are the stories Lawrence Ingrassia tells, weaving in his family’s own story as they were also impacted by LFS, a rare genetic mutation that causes a high occurrence of cancer.
“A Fatal Inheritance” is part memoir and part medical history told in a way that’s digestible for those of us outside of the scientific or medical communities. If you’re intrigued, I recommend the audiobook. The narrator is compassionate and articulate which greatly eased what I would have otherwise found to be a difficult book to get through. While this isn’t a genre I’d typically read, I very much liked Ingrassia’s memoir and the other family cancer stories he represented. I learned something new and have a greater appreciation for the medical pioneers and their cancer research.

This was a hard book to read. It is equal amounts of family history and historical information on cancer. It was hard to read because of the amount of sadness that cancer has caused these families that have higher than normal occurrences of cancer in their family is absolutely heartbreaking. Children growing up with sick parents or siblings, parents raising children with reoccurring cancer, and the amount of loss of such young children and adults made it hard to read. I don’t at all regret reading it, though. It was such a well written book and very interesting, especially the history of cancer and proving the genetic link to cancer. I hope that some day in the future we have the technology to cure cancer and that it will be affordable for those who need it.

A fascinating and extremely well researched book about the work to discover the link between genetic abnormalities and cancer. The author's own family was tragically impacted by cancer with a genetic link and the way he weaves his own story into the narrative works well. The author spent decades as a journalist and editor, and it shows in the quality of the research and the flow of the story. Fans of The Best Minds and Hidden Valley Road will enjoy this as well. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

The history of the research of the P53 gene variants and the family illnesses to which their mutations lend themselves is accessible and explained well, and the personal stories of the families and the history of them interspersed within give what might have seemed impersonal data a personal, sympathetic cast. It is an incredibly fascinating story.

I was fascinated and heartbroken by this story. The author did an excellent job of weaving personal family accounts in with the medical and scientific history. I appreciated that the science was explained in layman's terms for those of us who don't have a medical background. I'm glad the author included some discussion of the slippery slope of genetic modification along with the possible benefits. The bravery of those fighting cancer day in and day out is amazing!

Several decades ago, the medical community thought cancer was caused by viruses. They did not believe there was a genetic component. This book tells the story of how we now know about the genetic factor. It is a combination of stories from families affected by a strong genetic risk and stories of the researchers who worked tirelessly to uncover the connection. It's an engaging combination for what could be a dry subject.

The book is good and worth reading/listening to. I wish the book had ended with more hope by discussing the advances in nutrigenomics or other controllable factors for people with a genetic risk factor for cancer. As it was, it was mostly facts about research and the medical community instead of empowering individuals.

Familial love, heartbreaking sadness, and hope describe this narrative nonfiction about families with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), an inherited cancer-causing genetic condition which has caused devastation in some families for generations. The author, Lawrence Ingrassia, experienced all the emotions as the only sibling of four to not inherit the faulty gene which caused cancer in his family and ultimately as the only survivor. Ingrassia shares his traumatic family story with readers as well as the history of other families as the mystery of genetic cancer unfolds. Ingrassia addresses the future as research advances give hope for detection and treatment for not only families with LFS, but other cancers as well. Exceptionally well-researched, this book was engaging from beginning to end.

Dnf because the audio refused to play past chapter 3. From what I did hear, it seems really interesting and I'm definitely gonna see if my library has a copy. I spent like half a hour troubleshooting about why the audiobook wouldn't work and still couldn't figure it out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of A Fatal Inheritance How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery by Lawrence Ingrassia Narrated by Roger Wayne in exchange for an honest review. It publishes May 14, 2024.
First off, the narration was very well-done, except the pronunciation of La Jolla, California needs some work.
This was such a heartbreaking, yet eye-opening book. I found the format of how this book was written was very approachable, and took a subject that could be hard to understand, and made it accessible. I really appreciate the bravery of the author, and the sharing of his story, and the willingness of others to share their stories in order to spread awareness.
Seeing how science has changed even in the last sixty years that this book covers, is inspiring, yet definitely points out the glaring need for more research to be done.

Why is it that some families have to endure so much loss to cancer, while others are unaffected? Ingrassia, who lost majority of his family to different types of Cancer, attempts to answer this question while weaving his story in with the history of Cancer research. For years we thought cancer was always brought on by environmental factors, but when families like Ingrassia emerge, it becomes almost impossible to see there is a hereditary link. Ingrassia reviews the history of cancer research related to the discoveries of genetics, and specifically the P53 gene which, when provided from both parents, provides an individual with the ability to fight tumor growth. However, when only one copy of the gene is present, the individual has a statistically dramatic higher chance of getting cancer.

Although at times the book was a bit dry and read as a textbook, the topic is nonetheless interesting in looking at the steps it has taken us to understand and be able to know the specific genes that allow for the cause and prevention of such diseases. Ingrassia did a good job of weaving his own story in with the details of the evolution of cancer research. Ultimately, Ingrassia became one of four siblings to inherit two intact P53 genes, leaving him to be the member of his family to tell the story. Because of the intensity of the research descriptions, and science material, it was somewhat difficult to listen to this audiobook and retain all of the information. So if you are interested in reading for the specific research material I recommend reading in paper. However, the audiobook was well produced and the narrator was easy to listen to, if you don't mind missing some of the more precise details in your listen.

Part memoir part history of cancer research A Fatal Inheritance explores the author's own family history along with the evolution of gentics cancer research. This moving book is difficult to read in parts. Learning about the families involved and the author's own family and how they battled and sadly often succomb to cancer after cancer is heartbreaking. Several parts moved me to tears especially when I contemplated how hard it would be to cope with staggering loss after staggering loss within your family. Adding these personal stories added depth and emotion to the story about cancer research.

Amazingly well researched, the author explores the beginnings of cancer research and the evolution from viral causes to exploring the role genetics may play in enhanced cancer risk. The discovery of L-Fraumeni syndrome was ground breaking in the science of cancer and though it remains rare it provided an important glimpse into why some families seem plagued with cancers while others have very little cancer incidence. Though the science has come a long way it has definitely not come as long we the original scientists would have hoped. This book discucsses some of the current research and potential future directions of continued cancer research.

A Fatal Inheritance engaged me right away. I was equally interested in the parts that read like a memoir and the parts that were more like a science textbook. I learned a tremenous amount about genetics and cancer treatment from having listened to the excellent book. I recommend it highly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Author Lawtence Ingrassia tells not only his family's story of losing his mother and all three of his siblings to cancer but of the dedicated research Dr. Fraumeni and Dr. Li had done for decades to track the genetic connection in families and using gene therapy for treatment. For anyone who has had cancer in their family or is interested in gene therapy treatments, this will be a book you will want to read.

For me, having had cancer, but not a family connection, this book was interesting to me, although sometimes tedious reading. But I am forever grateful for cancer researchers, oncologists and those like this author who can tell their heartbreaking story as a way to enlighten others.

For those with cancer: do your homework, fight with all the weapons we have in today's arsenal against cancer, and never give up hope!

My thanks to Net Galley, Henry Holt & Co, and Macmillian Audio for advanced copies of the e-book and the audiobook.

So I like how this book starts with the story of the author's mother. Her problems were downplayed and ignored and then she died from breast cancer. While this is a common problem for many people trying to navigate the healthcare experience, this was just the beginning of the story. Ingrassia has to watch helplessly as his family faces serious illness, one after another. He loses far more than seems bearable: his mother, sisters, brother, nephew. Why did this keep happening to their family?
This book covers several important topics and the scientists who work in this area. While the material may seem complicated, the author does a great job breaking it down and presenting the facts logically. I never felt as though it was too dense or complicated.
Mixing the science with his own family's experience gave an important context to the science. You can see the fear and the longing and the hope and the desperation. I was talking about this book with a family member and said it was scarier than any horror book I've read recently. The narrator did a terrific job keeping it level. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

Listened to the audiobook.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

Wow! Super interesting! I was reading this while working in my research lab, and I was even more motivated to do my work while reading! My one issue is that I thought the beginning was a little messy with the author setting up their connection to the family mentioned initially.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC. I want to first mention that I am a pharmacist and do feel people in the medical field will appreciate the level of detail this book provides. This may be a difficult one for individuals not in the medical field given the level of medical jargon. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend!