The Woman with the Cure was a fascinating look at a time I'm not very familiar with. As the poliovirus pandemic rages across not just America, but the world, nonfictional Dorothy Horstmann becomes a champion not just for a cure, but a vaccine. Dorothy is a rare female doctor and scientist in a world dominated by men. All along the way, she must stand up for herself and for the children and families affected by polio. She fights for sharing and collaboration rather than competition and secrecy in the scientific community.

This story is a fictionalized account of the work of Horstmann, as well as Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, the two names most familiar to the public. Horstmann is portrayed as a determined, compassionate and brilliant scientist, and I am so glad I had a chance to read her story. Other women, including Isabel Morgan, Bernice Eddy and Elsie Ward are discussed as well. So many of them are now forgotten for their role in combatting this crippling, often deadly, virus.

Although the story is heavy on the science and research at times, it is beautifully written and captures a most interesting - and frightening - time in history. I cannot imagine being a parent who lived through those times.

Dr. Dorothy Horstmann was an epidemiologist, virologist, clinician, and educator, who dedicated a significant portion of her career to finding out how polio was transmitted to the nervous system. Born in 1911, Dr. Horstmann had to deal with the condescension and sexism of men who, at first, did not take her seriously. Her height distinguished her almost as much as her intellect. She was over six feet tall, and strangers would make rude comments about her size. Other noteworthy real-life individuals in Lynn Cullen's "The Woman with the Cure" are Albert Sabin and Jonas Salk, who were fierce rivals in the race to develop a safe and effective polio vaccine.

This novel had potential, but Cullen does not fully succeed in integrating fact and fiction. It is distracting when Cullen jumps abruptly between time periods without smooth transitions. In addition, the dialogue is stilted, and the romance that the author cooks up for Dorothy is shoehorned into the plot, ostensibly to show how difficult it was for women to combine a demanding career with a fulfilling personal life. Dorothy traveled frequently to help contain polio outbreaks in far-flung locations, and spent many hours in her lab and at medical conferences.

Cullen does better, however, in her depiction of the exhausting and painstaking work of researchers. It took years to discover what route the polio virus took as it made its devastating way to the nervous system, leading to paralysis or death in thousands of victims. The author sacrifices subtlety in her heavy-handed portrayal of male scientists who are insufferable womanizers and narcissists. Nevertheless, it is gratifying that Cullen pays tribute to Horstmann, Isabel Morgan, and others medical pioneers. Although these brilliant and dedicated women may not be household names, their contributions to the conquest of polio were monumental.

It's been quite a while since I've read a historical novel set in the medical science world. This story centered around Dr. Dorothy Horstmann and her work in helping bring about the cure for polio.


I found it fascinating to read about what it was like for her carving out a space for herself in time that was even more male-centric than we live in today. The book was a bit slow paced, but enjoyable and interesting enough to keep me reading.

This book was phenomenal! I loved seeing the untold stories of many women during the time of the polio pandemic and the impact they had on finding a vaccine, along with many other important scientific advances. Dorothy was such a great female lead and her lifelong commitment to finding a vaccine was so inspiring. Dorothy’s journey also showcased how women in STEM, during that time, were not given the opportunities and platform to discuss their discoveries and important theories. Dorothy’s determination and sacrifices to achieve her goal was a testament to the courage women in the field had to make an impact for the greater good, even when overshadowed by their male peers.

I was never educated about the history of the polio vaccine and how horrible that time period was for so many people. To see the how diligent the scientists were to finding a cure and the many obstacles they encountered, it really opened my eyes to how much goes into developing a vaccine. After just experiencing a worldwide pandemic, I have an even greater appreciation for the scientists behind the COVID vaccines and how diligent they were in finding preventative measures in such a short span of time.

This novel, as expected, was pretty science heavy in parts, and I thought the author did a great job of incorporating many secondary character storylines throughout to help break that up a bit. Dorothy’s backstory as a child of immigrants helped readers to understand where her compassion and empathy stemmed from. As this is a work of fiction, I’m really interested into learning more about the scientists mentioned in this novel and additional works from this time period. This is what I love about reading historical fiction novels and how the inspiration behind the storylines and characters can make me want to learn more and continue to educate myself. Highly recommend this novel!

I knew next to nothing about polio and the development of the polio vaccine before reading this book, let alone that women were behind the crucial medical discoveries necessary to create the vaccine in the first place. I always learn something when reading historical fiction, and it's one of the reasons it's (one of) my favorite genre(s).

I absolutely love reading and learning about badass, intelligent women in history. Dr. Dorothy Hortsmann is no different. Without her work, along with the work of other women scientists at the time, we likely would not have had the polio vaccine in the time that we did. In an era where it was even more difficult for women to be believed and taken seriously at all, let alone in male-dominated fields like science and medicine, Dr. Hortsmann continued to push through and study the disease, despite rampant sexism and dismissals from her male colleagues. Still, her work lead to the development of the vaccine, she was the first woman appointed professor at the Yale School of Medicine, and she also later contributed to the development of the rubella vaccine. Yet, I had never heard of her until reading this book.

While I loved learning about Dr. Hortsmann and her contributions to science and medicine, the delivery could have been a bit better. The pacing was a little too slow for me and the some things could have been cut to make it shorter. Additionally, it could have been more cohesive. Some of it was a bit choppy, and refining and sharpening would have created a better flow and more impactful experience.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen.

I love reading books about women who we don't know much about, especially those who had a profound impact. I knew Jonas Salk was responsible for the polio vaccine, so I was interested in reading more about finding a cure/vaccine for polio and the impact women had in research.

Dr. Dorothy Horstmann was a fascinating woman, especially from her background and how hard she fought to find a cure and find her place in a man's world in the 1940s-1960s medical community. I wanted to like this book more than I did, while I found it interesting, especially the challenges faced by Dorothy and other women and how long people worked to find a cure. But the execution of this book was a little too slow for me. It was a little too long and it felt like this could have been shorter.

I'm very glad I read this and learned about Dr. Dorothy Horstmann and find books like this so important to help shed light on the amazing things women were doing in the fight against polio.

As someone who remembers lining up in grade school for a sugar cube containing the polio vaccine but not remembering anything about the cure except the name of Jonas Salk, I looked forward to reading The Woman With the Cure.

It's about time we all learned about the women scientists who played crucial roles in medicine and other fields. I certainly appreciated learning about Dr. Dorothy Horstmann, from her humble beginnings as the daughter of immigrants to highly regarded virologist and medical researcher. Reading what she had to deal with on a daily basis is more than enough to make a feminist out of any reader, and my growing impatience with the men she worked with must mean that we live in (at least slightly) more enlightened times.

Yes, the historical and medical parts of The Woman With the Cure were fascinating and kept me reading, but I found that the execution of the story made that difficult at times. The book could have used a bit more editing and tightening to make the story flow better, and what surprised me was that, although this is the type of story that should've had me totally engrossed and cheering Dorothy on, I never really felt engaged with it. So... The Woman With the Cure is an important story that deserves a better telling. However, I am glad that I now know so much more about the fight for the polio vaccine and about Dr. Dorothy Horstmann, who went on to combat rubella after polio was conquered.

Excellent historical fiction around understanding polio in the midst of an epidemic and the development of the polio vaccines. More importantly, Lynn Cullen goes out of her way to highlight how women contributed to this story and the progress made that literally changed the lives of parents and children worldwide. Unfortunately, women’s history is too often shoved aside and this novel attempts to undo that for this era.
The story is charming, the plot moves and the characters are worth know. I recommend this book to all interested in medical history and lovers of historical fiction. More importantly, those who are willing to pause and consider the role women have played - mostly unsung - in our history should pick this up.

This historical fiction novel about the race to find a cure for polio will be a good choice for book clubs. The book centers around Dr. Dorothy Horstmann, a doctor turned epidemiologist. Her work was often dismissed but she did not let that stop her.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the free book!

This book tells the story of Dr. Dorothy Horstmann, otherwise known as "The Woman with the Cure."

Dorothy's determination to prove that polio virus spread in the bloodstream was what helped set the stage for the polio vaccine. Yet, her work was often undervalued and ignored due to the lack of acceptance of women in science during the 1940s-50s. I loved how Dorothy's character was handled and how smart yet how humble she was. It was obvious her main concern wasn't in winning or beating the men, but in saving the lives of so many children.

I loved how she was initially rejected into her residency program because she was a woman but how the chief of medicine ultimately called her back and accepted her based on her application....and the fact that he forgot she was a woman. I appreciate how many details like that are true to history!

I also found it interesting that the author chose to write about the polio pandemic right before the COVID pandemic; crazy timing!

I think this book was the perfect amount of being understandable to the average reader while also still using medical terminology. I never felt like I was lost in medical mumbo jumbo.

Overall, I'd recommend if you have any interest in women in early science and learning more about polio and it's ultimate cure!

This book will be available for purchase on February 21st!

The Woman with the Cure is a fascinating story of how one doctor changed the fight to cure polio across the world. Dr. D.M. Horstman was a genius, who's determination and research set-forth a flurry of work in the field of medicine. All she wanted was to save the children from the tragic horror of this sickness.

This story is a vivid reminder of the devastation polio brought to our country in the 40's and 50's. It also is a reminder of how women were discounted by their male counterparts across science and research. Cullen delivered a story that is both, personal and professional, with Horstman's life, sharing all she sacrificed throughout her work.

Honestly, I knew very little about this time in our country. This novel has definitely provided a glimpse into the heartbreak and devastation but it also showed the relief on a nation when the vaccine is discovered.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the complimentary copy of this novel.

We must never again allow decisions about essentially scientific matters to be made for us by people without training or insight. That lesson must be learned and remembered. ~ Dr. John Enders (Nobel Prize Winner and Microbiologist)

Warning: Reading about the race to find a vaccine for polio may give you flashbacks. Lynn Cullen reveals in her end notes that she began writing this book about the polio epidemic just as COVID-19 was making itself known. It is impossible not to compare the two health crises while reading this book. The quote above caught my eye and it would seem we did not learn as much from the time of polio as we might have thought. There were many men and women working tirelessly to end polio back in the 40's and 50's. Lynn Cullen focuses her spotlight on Dr. Dorothy Horstmann. It is a fascinating and frustrating story. First of all, we see so many gifted scientists who are not team players while organizations like the Easter Seals were also interfering by supplying money for the research of their favorite doctors and scientists. They didn't all just get together in a lab and crank out a vaccine. It was a very complicated world -- above my science capacity at times. Second was the inequality between men and women in the research world. We have all heard of Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin. Have you ever been introduced to Dr. Dorothy Horstmann? Open up this book and discover her. Includes a helpful guide for book groups.

Fiction reveals truth, that reality obscures. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. To be published on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

In the 1940’s and 1950’s the world is battling the horrific poliovirus. A virus that spreads quickly paralyzing and often killing it victims. Doctors do not know how it spreads or how it enters the body. They do not know how to prevent, cure or eradicate this virus. As summers go by with children locked in their homes, terrified parents will do anything to protect them. Teams of scientists are in labs across the globe researching and testing a multitude of theories. Dr. Dorothy Horstmann was a child of immigrants. She clawed her way thru medical school and residency. At 6’1” Dorothy is a tall tale, as most who meet her are quick to state. She is also one of the precious few women working in medicine and specifically epidemiology. Unlike many of her famous colleagues, Dorothy’s gentle bedside manner extends to everyone. She is not searching for an award, fame or money, she only wants to save people. It took years for scientists to recognize her research of poliovirus in the human bloodstream which enabled the vaccine that was ultimately created. Her humble personality and brilliant mind led her to the team at Yale where Dorothy worked tirelessly, putting her personal life second to the disease. The race for a cure overrode war, politics, funding and notoriety. This unsung hero is not a household name but Dorothy’s contributions and dedication changed our world. This exquisite work of historical fiction is both educational and inspiring. Dr. Dorothy Horstmann will not be forgotten.

Review will be posted on 2/21/23

Dr. Dorothy Horstmann is a doctor in a world where female doctors aren't really accepted and their ideas are pushed aside. Unlike most females from her time period, she isn't focused on marriage and children, instead she is focused on polio. Yes, you heard it right--polio, the life threatening and disabling virus. She is sick of it having such an impact on the world and is dedicating her life to finding a cure. Slowly, Dorothy is making gains despite the many roadblocks in her way as a woman in science. She makes the discovery that polio spreads via the blood to the nervous system and at first her idea is dismissed. But as the years go by a safe vaccine is developed with Dorothy's help and the world will reap its benefits. The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen is a captivating tale that puts readers behind the scenes of the medical community as they race to find a vaccine for polio.

Dorothy was such an interesting woman in The Woman with the Cure. She came from such a humble background and I believe that is what kept her grounded. She had her chance with love as she had a relationship with Arne Holm, but overall, finding a cure for polio was her main priority. She wasn't going to let anything get her off track from her main goal. I appreciated her self-sacrifice and her determination as she never let the setbacks or the sexism stop her. Oftentimes Dorothy was the only woman in the room! I can't imagine how that must have felt, but I am so thankful for her grit and perseverance.

Cullen really highlights the tension and heartbreak that polio brought to the world. While readers can currently relate to some of the aspects of the polio outbreak, polio felt even more scary as it was targeting children. The descriptions of the children impacted were truly heartbreaking. It made the uphill battle to find a vaccine even more important as these young children's story were just so sad. It's crazy to think that it wasn't that long ago when polio impacted the world; in fact, I have a family member that contracted this horrible disease.

As someone that is very interested in medicine, I found Cullen's descriptions of the science and what goes into the making of a vaccine not only very timely, but very interesting. It pulled the curtain back on what doctors have to go through to research and develop their theories how a virus spreads, etc. Cullen did a very good job researching this overwhelming topic and made it feel accessible to readers.

If you like powerful historical fiction, pick up a copy of The Woman with the Cure. I think you will come away with such an appreciation for all the people involved in developing the polio vaccine, but especially Dorothy Horstmann. Let me know what you think in the comments below and if you'll be adding The Woman with the Cure to your winter TBR list.

A fascinating look at the desperate hunt to uncover the way polio is spread, how to treat it, and most importantly, how to prevent it. Dr. Dorothy Horstmann, the child of German immigrants, made it through medical school and then found herself stymied she moved into research- until she met Alfred Sabin, who "allowed" her to be part of his team. Her quest later takes her to Yale, where she becomes an epidemiologist as well as a pediatrician. The prejudice she, and other women, face, is both subtle and pervasive but they all persist. Dorothy never loses sight of the people she's trying to help, arguing against different methodologies as they get closer to a vaccine. She's not the only woman highlighted here (I found myself googling them) and the novel is even better for their inclusion. There's a romance - no spoilers- but mostly this focuses on the research. This does get science heavy in spots but I learned a great deal. Polio, thanks to the vaccines, has faded from our memories and this is a good reminder of the work and sacrifice of those who helped to beat it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen is a historical fiction novel that follows the race for the cure for Polio. It highlights the unknown work of the women who worked towards the cure but did not get credit for any of their work.

Story Recap:
In the 1940s and 1950s, the world is in fear of Polio, a dreaded disease that struck down mostly children. The cause is unknown, and so is the cure.

Dorothy Horstmann started researching polio as a young doctor. One of the rare women doctors of her time, she was devastated to see so many young children suffering so much from this horrible disease. Dorothy is determined to do what she can to find a cure. Her male colleagues are more concerned with “being the first” to find the cure, but Dorothy just wants to find a way to destroy the disease.

My Thoughts:
I was a bit worried that this book would have a lot of science and medical terms in it, and it does, but the author does a wonderful job of simplifying the science, which allowed me to follow the story without having to look up terms and words all the time. Her writing is surprisingly easy to read and very straightforward, even with all the scientific jargon.

The first part of the book covers the horrors of polio, making the reader aware of the disease and its devastating effects on children and parents everywhere. This part was difficult to read at times, but necessary to demonstrate the horrific way the disease destroyed families everywhere. Then the search for the cure takes over and that part of the book was fascinating.

The men were in a race to see who could discover the cure first, and Dorothy was in a race to save the children. Dorothy was such a fascinating character and so devoted to finding the cure.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Woman With the Cure to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is kinda was super devastating; however, it was super worth it as I really enjoyed the fight for the cure that was going on.

This book will transport you back to the beginning of 2020, when the Covid virus was running rampant and no one knew what it was, how it worked, spread, just that it killed. In The Woman with the Cure, instead of covid it is polio. The virus that stumped doctors. They knew it was found in your gut and somehow traveled to your nervous system, but the question was how. Early in her life Dorothy Horstmann wanted to do something with her life. She made it through medical school and is now trying to get a position, any position in the medical field. She is determined to help find a cure for polio and she is a woman, which in the 1940's and 50's there is no room for a woman doing man's work. As a woman she must prove herself over and over again to have her voice heard. Not to have her work taken and used by another, and to be trusted by her collogues. All the while the men are constantly posturing and peacocking amongst themselves, who is the smartest, who will find the cure first, all while trying to come together for the greater good.

Lynn Cullen has based her book on real-life heroine, Dorothy Horstmann. A woman who had the backbone, the will power, and the intelligence to help study the way in which the polio virus moves within the body. She knows deep down that it is in the blood, the key is for others to finally listen to her and give her the time and money to research it. The research that Cullen did seeps through the pages, making you flip through the pages faster and faster. You immediately connect with Dorothy and her draw to help people. She and the rest of the disease detectives give up their lives to completely focus on polio. She comes from sturdy stock and finds the love of her life. Will she have to give all of that up in the name of science?

This book is astounding! I wish these men could have gotten over themselves to see what was right in front of their eyes. The brains, the tenacity, and the drive of all of these women who helped eradicate this horrifying disease. You see this over and over in history. Brilliant woman looked down upon and sent to the back. Labeled a secretary or never able to move up in the ranks, just because of their sex. I always wonder what would have happened if men got over themselves and actually listened. Thank you to Lynn Cullen, Berkley Books, and NetGalley for this phenomenal read that I will not soon forget.

I am so excited for people to read this book. If you are into STEM, Women in Science or just like to read a good historicial fiction novel - this is the book for you.

Most of us know of Jonas Salk as being the first to develp a vaccine for polio - but there is so much more to the story. Albert Sabin probably developed the vaccine that most of us had. And Dr Dorothy Hurstmann was the first to hypothesis that polio virus was found in blood. But as men dominated in those years and history was recorded by men - few people know about Dorothy and her large contribution.

Lynn Cullen writes this very imformative book in a way that does not read like a textbook. All the names of scientist and doctors are here and she develops the characters into interesting people with real lives and families. I very much enjoyed it and learned so much.

The Woman with the Cure is a fictional account of the life of Dorothy Hortsman. The book focuses on her journey to find the cure or a preventative for Polio from the time she joined Vanderbilt and, through trial and error, helped create a vaccine that would help millions of people.

First, I loved that the author, Lynn Cutter, featured a woman scientist. Women in STEAM roles are often overlooked by their male colleagues, so it was refreshing to see a story about an empowering woman in the science field who was determined to save lives.

The story itself was fascinating and a topic I did not know about before reading this book. Due to being in a worldwide pandemic for the last few years, I was immediately invested in the story and how it paralleled my world today. However, the writing was so slow-paced that I lost interest in the book as the book dragged on. The story could have been delivered better, but it was still fascinating to see the science behind making a vaccine.

Thank you to NetGallery and Berkley Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.