When surgeons at Roundthorn Hospital in Manchester, England transplant a heart into 52-yr old anti-Semite James Karl Fisher's chest cavity, they don't know his Nazi tendencies. Also at the time nobody knew that the lifesaving organ had come from an Orthodox Jewish donor named Marcus Lieberman. One might assume that highjinks would ensue. But because The Blighted Son is told from the point of view of medical journalist Edwin Benn, it is an involved chronicling of events told in a straightforward, factual, informational way, perhaps like long-form journalism.

The plot and characters are interesting, if somewhat flat in the telling, but I absolutely love that the basis of the story is a bizarre yet documented medical phenomenon. I was a little dubious at times - that somebody who had just recovered from the most major cardiac surgery there is, had simultaneously undergone whole body tattoo removal; or that a leader of gymrat skinheads would have the financial freedom to sell his business and travel so extensively, but maybe that's me stereotyping. At times Edwin Benn seemed Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock-type callous, for example when told someone's husband had just died 18 months ago, responding "Why do you think that is - I mean since your husband died?" I would have liked to have seen more of that kind of character trait defined. I did appreciate the detailed descriptions of the many cities visited in the Blighted Son, a bittersweet redemption story.

Very tedious read, too repetitive and after 6 chapters there was nothing progressing, I found the book very boring.
The writing was very good and I was hoping for more to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peter Harris for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

"The Blighted Son" is a short but intriguing story that follows the path of a Neo-Nazi who receives a transplant from a Jewish man and the newspaper reporter tasked with following his progress. What the reporter expects will be a short course medical interest piece turns into much more as Jim, the transplant recipient, begins to experience unexpected changes as his new heart beats within him.

Overall, I thought this was a good presentation of a well-documented medical mystery (I won't say too much more as I want to avoid spoilers). I had a good time reading the story - the writing and the matter-of-fact presentation style reminded me a bit of watching BBC shows on PBS, and I think anyone who likes that kind of vibe would enjoy this story. If you are looking for a heavier emphasis on the medical aspects of transplant surgery or transplant medicine, you will not find that here.

I gave three stars for this review, but would probably reasonably round up to 3.5 - I thought (actually, much like a British show compared to maybe an American one), that there was not a lot of heart-stopping (pun intended) drama or intrigue here and no monumental reveals or moments of excitement. This was not necessarily a bad thing, but I think if you're expecting a fast-paced story with emotion-ridden twists and turns, this story will not be for you.

"The Blighted Son" is unpretentious (maybe even to the point of being a bit on the nose to the point of being a little bit like a school essay with its descriptions sometimes), narrative fiction of life after transplant surgery, and will probably be enjoyed by those who like things plainly stated and presented, like afternoon tea and an unadorned digestive biscuit.

Absolutely fascinating concept. And I loved how the author touched on the actual science of how a heart transplant affects the recipient's personality. It seems like our personality is kind of set, regardless if we have a new liver or heart etc. But that's not exactly the case, due to cell memory and the physical cells of someone else's being and soul merge with yours... there is some physicality to it and science behind it affecting personality.

The characters are lovely, such polite and kind people. I really liked them, but the writing is a bit dry. Still, the book was wonderful, unique, and so well done. I'm so grateful I got the chance to read it!