If you liked 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺, you’re gonna LOVE this book (out in February); it is historical fiction based on the real woman/women who helped in the hunt for a polio vaccine.

Just like Elizabeth Zoltan, these women, in particular the lead Dorothy Horstmann, were marginalized, talked over, asked to make coffee, sexualized, ignored, had their ideas stolen, and if they had been listened to early on, thousands fewer children would have died or been handicapped by this terrible disease.

I was mesmerized by this story, particularly after our experience of a world-wide pandemic these last three years. It is easy to forget, or be ignorant of, the terrible toll polio took on parents for so many decades in the 20th century. This book lays out the horror of the disease, and the brilliant women, and yes, men, who worked to stop polio in its tracks.

This is a quote from Dr. Dorothy Horstmann that gave me chills, as I remembered the utterly insane press briefings led by Trump in 2020:

“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.” (Thousands fewer Americans would have died of Covid if we had listened to Dr. Horstmann)

The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen

Although I'd heard of Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, brilliant scientists racing each other to find a cure for polio, I'd not heard of Dorothy Horstmann until I read the synopsis of this book. I think the cover of this book is so fitting, showing a woman whose face is cut off by the top of the book. Dorothy worked alongside all the men searching for a cure, sometimes arriving at answers before they did, but she remained mostly invisible, her name left off articles when her name should have come ahead of the men's names. Another reason the cover is fitting is that Dorothy was 6'1", towering over most men, always hearing comments on her height, as if she should be as surprised as everyone else that she could be that tall. So tall that even the cover of a book couldn't fit all of her on it.

The thing is, while the men of her profession were in a race to beat each other in developing a vaccine for polio, Dorothy wanted a cure to save lives, to rid the world of this devastating disease that took lives, paralyzed it's living victims, and paralyzed parents with the fear that their children could be stricken. This story is fiction, based on the work of Horstmann, Salk, Sabin, and so many others, including successful women who never were allowed the credit they deserved. The story shows very well what it was like to live in the 40s and 50s, so many little things in the story are almost shocking when placed against what we know and do today. I felt like I was watching one of those old 50s comedies except this wasn't a comedy, it was life and death, with polio winning the fight for way too long.

Dorothy was the daughter of immigrants, with a father robbed of his ability to provide for his family after he suffered a devastating illness. Her mother worked hard to take care of Dorothy, her disabled brother, and her sister and I think that self sacrificing, work oneself to the bone, frame of mind was taken up by Dorothy even though she felt like she didn't know here mother very well. After all, Dorothy's mother was always working, a trait that Dorothy takes on and one that is a blockade to other areas of her life. It's mentioned more than once that the men scientists could have wives to take care of the home, deal with social responsibilities, have and raise the kids but unless Dorothy gave up her profession kids would not be in her future, whether she wanted them or not. But really, Dorothy was married to her mission and that was to wipe out polio.

Dorothy is presented with great compassion and empathy and I really liked her as she is portrayed in this story. She was living and working in a man's world, those things can't be taken away from her even if the accolades went to those willing to grab them out of her hands. The story made me want to know more about Dorothy and the other real people we meet in this book. So many egos are driven by the desire for fame and notoriety as opposed to making life better for humans (and animals). The race to cure polio is not a pretty one, often it's the loudest voice with the most monetary backing that gets the attention but I thought it was so very interesting as we follow Dorothy on this journey.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

The "woman" is Dr. Dorothy Hortsmann and the "cure" is the research she dedicates her life to in desperately looking for a way to cure or prevent against the crippling devastation of polio which affected so many children in the first half of the 20th century. We all know the name of Jonas Salk associated with the polio vaccine. Some also know the name of researcher, Albert Sabin and even Basil O'Connor, fundraiser and organizer of the March of Dimes. But how many of us knew about Dr. Hortsmann and her invaluable work in making the connection between the virus and its travel through the blood system to the nervous system? Throughout the constant competition for funding and research trials, Dr. Hortsmann stands steadfast in her work, traveling for years and years across the country and around the globe collecting specimens. From strained personal relationships to being passed over and omitted from notation, her sacrifices underscore her dedication. She never wavers from her will to find a cure. Without her work, we might all be still caught in the throes of another pandemic. Thank you, Lynn Cullen, for sharing Dr. Hortsmannn's story with us. I received a NetGalley ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61053897-the-woman-with-the-cure" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Woman With the Cure" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1666028625l/61053897._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61053897-the-woman-with-the-cure">The Woman With the Cure</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/56747.Lynn_Cullen">Lynn Cullen</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4982197644">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The "woman" is Dr. Dorothy Hortsmann and the "cure" is the research she dedicates her life to in desperately looking for a way to cure or prevent against the crippling devastation of polio which affected so many children in the first half of the 20th century. We all know the name of Jonas Salk associated with the polio vaccine. Some also know the name of researcher, Albert Sabin and even Basil O'Connor, fundraiser and organizer of the March of Dimes. But how many of us knew about Dr. Hortsmann and her invaluable work in making the connection between the virus and its travel through the blood system to the nervous system? Throughout the constant competition for funding and research trials, Dr. Hortsmann stands steadfast in her work, traveling for years and years across the country and around the globe collecting specimens. From strained personal relationships to being passed over and omitted from notation, her sacrifices underscore her dedication. She never wavers from her will to find a cure. Without her work, we might all be still caught in the throes of another pandemic. Thank you, Lynn Cullen, for sharing Dr. Hortsmannn's story with us.  I received a NetGalley ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dorothy Horstmann, the daughter of immigrants, understood the fear of polio in 1940s and ’50s America. This deadly virus had the power to kill or paralyze its victims, particularly children, causing cities to be put under lockdown during outbreaks. Many of the world's top minds were dedicated to finding a vaccine to combat it, but all Dorothy wanted was a cure. Despite coming from humble beginnings, she became a doctor and used her determination to hunt down the virus in the blood, leading to a crucial discovery. Her colleague was then given the chance to win the race to develop a vaccine, and she was asked to validate or reject it. This gripping story, written by the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe, is based on the true events of the woman who stopped a pandemic.

A fascinating look into the people and the long process involved in finding a vaccine for polio. The struggles Dorothy faced as a woman, doctor and scientist of the time are immense. This historical fiction shines a light on a not-so-distant battle with disease as we live through the Covid pandemic.

In 1940s and ’50s America, polio is rampant. No one’s life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world’s best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god. But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor, she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood. This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine..

I grew up in the 50's and 60's so well remember the polio epidemic. This is not only a story of Albert Sabin and Jonas Salk, who were familiar names, but a woman, Dorothy Horstmann, who finds how the virus gets through a human to the nervous system--through the blood. A fascinating story of one woman's determination to find the truth regardless of what it cost her. I really like historical fiction about unknown women in history, and this is one that was enlightening up to the very end. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research, both on the main characters and the scientific precesses involved in the labs, when she describes both in detail. The ups and downs of scientific research is brought out, both the good and the bad. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read this book about a discovery that literally changed the world.

The essential contribution of this novel can be summarized in one sentence: like most of its future readers (I assume), I had never before heard of Dorothy Horstmann and her fundamental role in the research that led to the near-eradication of polio, despite having benefited hugely from her work. Throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and into the 1960s, she devoted her considerable talents and endless hours to tracking how polio spread throughout the body, but like the other remarkable women portrayed in this novel, she was forced because of her gender to play second fiddle to Doctors Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, her academic colleagues. Their contributions, of course, were also real and worthy of acclaim, but it was Dr. Horstmann—too often dismissed as “Dottie” or “Dot,” as if she were someone’s secretary—who made the crucial discovery that early in its path from the digestive to the nervous system, the polio virus created antibodies in the blood. That finding made the polio vaccine possible by defining an entry point for medical intervention.

Reading this novel has a particular resonance at this moment, when polio outbreaks are again affecting US cities because of vaccine hesitancy and the final eradication of the disease has been deterred in certain countries by political concerns—not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic, which has changed everyone’s experience of quarantine and disease. But I would like to emphasize that this is, first and foremost, a novel, centered on complex characters, a gripping plot, and the age-old battle between science and nature. I don’t know, for example, whether Dorothy’s love interest is a real person or the author’s way of contrasting the attractions of home with the pull exerted by fulfilling work. In the end, it doesn’t matter, because “The Woman with the Cure” works as a story, provoking questions about the choices its heroine makes and what we might do in similar circumstances—and that’s what counts.

I will be interviewing this author for the New Books Network (link below) in February 2023.

Dorothy Horstmann is researching polio. While her colleagues are focused on finding a vaccine, Dorothy is focused on trying to find polio in the blood, where she is convinced it will be to help find a cure. Along the way, she has to battle the sexism of the 1940s and 1950s and the jostling of her male colleagues for position.

This was a really good read. I loved how it was broken up into different periods of time from when Dorothy first began her polio research until after she discovered polio in the blood and began researching other diseases instead. While most of the public focus on the polio vaccine has been on the men, most notably Salk and Savin, Cullen chose to highlight not just Horstmann but her female colleagues and the black animal caretaker as well. Extremely well paced and well researched. Highly recommend.

I had never heard of Dr. Dorothy Horstmann before I read Lynne Cullen's moving and captivating biographical novel. Not only is it a terrific portrait of a woman who deserves widespread recognition, it's also a deeply moving story about the sacrifices she had to make in order to have a medical career, the rivalries between the vaccine researchers, and the hold the polio pandemic had on the world (and the joy felt when the success of Salk's vaccine was announced, which emptied when careless cost-saving measures led to paralysis and death).

The constant fear and dread that parents felt during the decades of outbreaks with no cure or vaccine is palpably felt.

Fans of historical fiction, especially women-centered fiction, will love this. Would be an excellent choice for book clubs!

Many thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel, it is the first I've read by Lynn Cullen but I will go look for her others! The story was interesting and the narrative flowed well.

The woman with the Cure
by Lynn Cullen
Pub Date: February 21, 2023
Berkely Books
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I am highly recommending this!!
A great historical fiction book about the fight against Polio. I had an uncle who was a victim of polio and I was drawn to this book. This was an excellent historical fiction title. It was reminiscent of the Marie Benedict titles, Her Hidden Genius and The Only Woman in the Room, featuring women scientists who persevered in their quests even though they were not given the same respect and opportunities as male scientists in the same field. An enjoyable and educational read.
5 stars

An interesting novel about the race to create a polio vaccine, but much longer than it needed to be. Maybe it’s the scientist in me that just wanted to stick to the science, but I would’ve preferred less of the personal drama and extra points of view. The science itself is fascinating, and Dorothy’s contributions are invaluable, but I slowly found myself caring less and less about the book overall as the years dragged on.

I loved the main character,Dorte, all 6 feet of her.She tried so valiantly to find a cure for Polio with all the backlash from the men scientists. This book was so well written , characters flow and story line just wants one to read on! Thank you Lynn Cullen for writing this historical novel and the publisher Berkeley Publishing.Group . Scientists Salk and Sabin , and unknown scientist Dorothy do find a cite for Polio but Dorothy’s name is never mentioned in all the credits, that was the era sadly. Finally in this book her story is told!

The story of Dorothy a doctor in a man’s world and the mad hunt for a cure for Polio - stretches over the WWII years and beyond - interesting and engaging

I well remember the scary times of polio in my youth, and knew people who were victims. I also remember about Sabin and Salk, but never of Dorothy Horstman, the unsung heroine in this search for a vaccine. She was a woman of science who was never acknowledged and thank you to Ms. Cullen for doing just that.

THE WOMAN WITH THE CURE is a definite winner for fans of historical fiction. I have been a longtime fan of Lynn Cullen's and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

The beginning threw me a little bit as we meet Dorothy from the point of view of one of the doctor's wives. I would have preferred for the story to begin in Dorothy's point of view. However, we do quickly reach Dorothy and the story takes off from there.

I enjoyed the historical details and reading about the obstacles that Dorothy had to overcome. Although I didn't know much about the history of the polio vaccine, I had no trouble following the narrative. I love this type of story where a woman's involvement in a significant historical event is revealed. Cullen's writing style is so immersive that the reader feels they are right there with the characters.

This is a book of historical fiction about the war on polio in the mid 20th century, the two main research scientists - Sabin and Salk - and an unknown woman scientist, Dorothy Horstmann. Dorothy discovers that polio can be found very early in a patient's blood, a discovery that leads directly to a polio vaccine. Another male scientist does the same work and confirms Dorothy's discovery, but he gets the credit. Dorothy is constantly overlooked in her scientific career, simply because she is a woman. The theme of overlooked women runs throughout the book - Dorothy, other female scientists, wives of scientists, secretaries of scientists, etc. The book is skillfully written on a very fascinating subject. As any historical fiction book should do, this story of Dorothy Horstmann inspired me to look further and deeper into her life, trying to determine what was historically accurate and what was added fiction. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC.

Excellent historical fiction bringing to light the women who made so much possible in the polio vaccine. The the movie Hidden Figures, Lynn Cullen shows us that women have been in the shadows for too long. Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen is ultimately so many stories woven into a riveting account of the relentless search for a vaccine to end the scourge of polio. Yes, of course, Dr. Sabin and Dr. Salk will play prominent roles in the day-to-day successes and failures in finding the cure. But this novel will rely heavily on the dedication and smarts of Dr. Dorothy Horstmann as she dedicates her life to the search, and at the same time remains true to her needs and wants as a woman in what is a man's domain. Although nominated for the Nobel Prize due to her discovery that the polio virus does invade the blood stream, the prize that year went to a man in research not connected to polio and not at all breakthrough. Yet Dr. Horstmann forged on as she viewed every child she encountered as a potential victim of the disease.

Dr. Horstmann maintains complex and often divisive relationships with the characters around her. She realizes very early that the real heroes of this assault on mankind are the children who are victims of the disease and the nurses who spend countless hours attempting to relieve the horrors of the iron lung, the wheelchair, the loss of an active and vital life. Cullen puts the reader right into the midst of summers without the beach, the lack of playmates and the constant fear that parents lived with as polio made its annual visit.

Readers will find themselves appreciating the time bomb, the disagreements and personality clashes along with the clear motivation in every single character to see the end of polio.

Perhaps after reading The Woman with the Cure, readers will be compelled to find out more about the journey to develop the vaccine. Polio has, after all, made its way back into our current lives. The author suggests reading a biography of Dr. Sabin or Dr. Salk.. The more knowledge, the more educated choices.

If you are like me, you love a good book about science. And if you are like me, you also love a good book about women who shattered barriers and overcame all odds. The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen is both of those things, and more.

This beautifully written novel tells the story of Dorothy Horstmann, a woman who defied all expectations and became a successful doctor in 1940s and '50s America - when it was an incredibly difficult thing to do as a woman. What's even more impressive is that she did this in the face of polio, a disease that was feared just as much as the atomic bomb. Dorothy and her colleagues were on the forefront of the race to find a vaccine for polio.

This book is about more than just polio though; it’s about the many women of medicine who eventually erradicated it. It is a lyrical, striking portrayal of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It is hard to believe that these events actually happened, but they did, and Lynn Cullen has captured them beautifully.

This book is definitely worth the read. It is grueling at times, but nothing short of extraordinary. These women were truly stout hearted - they faced down disease and discrimination with equal determination.

The Woman with the Cure is a must read for anyone interested in science, history, or simply strong women characters. It's an absolutely amazing story, beautifully told. If you loved Lessons in Chemistry, you will adore this one.