Review of "It's Not All Downhill From Here: A Novel" by Terry McMillan

Loretha Curry - an African-American woman who lives in Pasadena, California - will be 68-years-old in a few days, on New Year's Eve.

As Loretha approaches her seventh decade, she's doing relatively well. Loretha has been happily married to her third husband Carl for over two decades;



she has a close group of caring girlfriends who've known each other since high school;



she has a beloved German Shepherd named B.B. King;



and she's well-off financially. Loretha has two beauty product shops and she and Carl - a retired contractor - own apartments and houses they rent out.

Loretha also has ongoing concerns. Her fraternal twin sister Odessa is resentful, distant and ornery; her son Jackson lives in faraway Tokyo with his wife and two babies; her daughter Jalecia is an alcoholic who's been estranged for over a year; her granddaughter Cinnamon and Cinnamon's boyfriend Jonas - who are ambitious but underemployed - are expecting twins; and she's had to place her 86-old-mother, who's in the early stages of dementia, in an assisted living facility.



Loretha has asked Carl not to make her ANOTHER surprise birthday party this year, but is sure he'll make one anyway. Thus Loretha is pleasantly shocked on New Year's Eve when Carl wafts her off to their favorite Palm Springs resort, where he's booked their favorite room.



Loretha goes upstairs while Carl deals with the car, and finds a bottle of expensive champagne and a large plate of figs, squares of white and black chocolate, grapes, four kinds of cheese, and assorted crackers.





Then things go terribly wrong when Carl has a fatal heart attack, and Loretha is plunged into grief and mourning, unable to fathom life without Carl.

Loretha's friends - Poochie, Lucky, Korynthia, and Sadie - surround and support her, and Karl's relatives from Detroit come to pay their respects.



With the tender care of her gal-pals, Loretha eventually gets back to a semblance of her old life, which now includes a young man named Kwame, who reveals he's a son Carl never knew he had, conceived before Carl met Loretha.



As the story unfolds, we follow Loretha's personal life as well as her interactions with her friends and relatives. Loretha's doctor tells her she has diabetes, and advises Loretha to lose weight, embark on an exercise program, and check her blood regularly.



Loretha does none of that. She continues to consume high calorie foods like cheeseburgers, fries, and desserts; doesn't attend exercise classes; and never tests her glucose levels. Loretha knows she's doing the wrong thing, but lacks the will power to do right.

Meanwhile Loretha and her friends resume their monthly dinners, where the women discuss the ups and downs of their lives. Sadie is an avid churchgoer who was thought to be a closet lesbian until she revealed a big secret; Lucky's husband has moved into their guest house and the couple may be headed for divorce; Poochie - who participates via FaceTime - is currently nursing her sick mother in Las Vegas; and Korynthia is a fitness teacher who's started using senior citizen dating sites.



Loretha's wealth seems like a curse as well as a blessing, because people always have their hands out. Loretha's sister Odessa insists she's getting their mom's house, which Loretha owns; Loretha's ex-sister-in-law Peggy (who Loretha never liked) is always calling to ask for money; Loretha's daughter Jalecia doesn't even phone to wish her mother Happy Birthday, but calls when she needs $5,000 for bail; etc.



On top of that, Loretha is exceptionally generous, and allows people to live in her rental units free and pays for things most people wouldn't.

We follow Loretha's life for a year following Carl's death, and see her experience family drama; crises; tragedies; and some fun times as well - like a girl's night at a strip club.



Though Loretha goes through hard times, the novel has a good deal of humor, which lightens the narrative considerably. The story also has a fairy tale vibe, as things tend to go right in the end. This seems unrealistic, but it's a minor quibble about an uplifting book that addresses the real-life concerns of aging and loss.

And dog lovers will adore B.B. King, who's a wonderful companion for Loretha.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Mutant Project: Inside the Global Race to Genetically Modify Humans" by Eben Kirksey

 

Author Eben Kirksey

In this book anthropologist Eben Kirksey updates us on cutting edge genetic manipulation that could change the human race.

Modern advances in gene therapy stem from the work of Dr. Jennifer Doudna and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Nobel prize winners who found a way to edit DNA.


Jennifer Doudna (left) and Emmanuelle Charpentier

In June 2012 the scientists demonstrated that a piece of genetic material called CRISPR-Cas9 can be customized to snip a DNA sequence in a specific place, altering the DNA of a living organism. CRISPR-Cas9 works by unwinding part of the DNA double helix into two single strands. CRISPR then holds everything in place while Cas9 makes two cuts, producing a break in both strands of DNA. New DNA can then be inserted at the cuts.



Manipulating DNA is tricky, and the procedure can have unwanted consequences. For example, when CRISPR breaks a segment of a cell's DNA, the cell's attempts to repair the damage could result in nonsense sequences of nucleotides. Dr. Ashley Fischer, who teaches a gene editing course, observes, "a CRISPR molecule [could] wreak havoc, shredding your DNA into bits and pieces. Many of your genes would be destroyed and your cells would likely die."



Nevertheless, once CRISPR was unveiled, it was impossible to put the genie back in the bottle. Doudna predicted that CRISPR would be used to direct the evolution of our species, writing: "We possess the ability to edit not only the DNA of every living human but also the DNA of future generations."

One aim of genetic manipulation might be to cure diseases like sickle cell anemia and hemophilia, which can be attributed to known genes.



Another aim might be to change things like eye color and hair color, whose genetic basis is also relatively well understood. As scientists learn more and more about the human genome, though, genetic manipulation might be used to make more profound changes.

British scientist Robin Lovell-Badge suggests that people might want to modify genes so their children have perfect pitch; enhanced athletic abilities; resistance to infectious diseases; higher intelligence; etc.


Robin Lovell-Badge

Some military leaders dream of engineering soldiers with enhanced endurance, speed, and muscle mass.


Genetically modified humans for a future super soldier army

Carl June, director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Penn Medicine - who has already developed a gene therapy for leukemia - hopes to treat patients with advanced tumors that are not currently curable with known and approved therapies.


Carl June

Molecular biologist George Church - who has long aspired to bring wooly mammoths back from the dead - believes genome engineering can be used to give humans extra-strong bones; to allow people to hold their breath for a long time under water; and to extend life expectancy....maybe even allow humans to achieve immortality. Church also thinks its possible to create resistance to pathogens by preventing the entry of viruses into cells, not only in humans but also in agricultural plants and animals.


George Church

Some people speculate about the feasibility of using gene therapy to change gender; imbue people with fruit smells; increase physical attractiveness; enhance fertility; change racial characteristics; and change skin color.


Genetic engineering might be used to increase physical attractiveness

Others think humans might be altered so they can see in the ultraviolet or infrared spectrum; detect electromagnetic fields; be able to digest plants that aren't currently edible; perform photosynthesis; glow green (for discos); or exhibit other variations.


Genetic engineering might be used to produce green skin that photosynthesizes (or looks good in discos)

Lovell-Badge observes, "The mere fact that we are raising these suggestions does not mean that they should be done."

A potential problem of gene manipulation is that scientists don't completely understand what they're tinkering with. The genes for SOME traits are well understood but researchers have found that many characteristics are controlled by a combination of genes, and traits like mental illness or intelligence - which would be prime targets for gene manipulation - are still a puzzle to scientists. Moreover, 'enhancements' often come with serious health risks, like smaller internal organs or other unwanted side effects.



Another problem related to gene manipulation is access. Gene therapy clinics are financed by venture capitalists looking for profit, so the procedures are very expensive. This means the wealthy - mostly rich white people - have more access than others, a factor that deepens racial and economic disparities. Kirksey notes, "Profit-driven ventures in research and medicine [are] producing a new era of dramatic medical inequality."


Gene therapy is expensive

There's also controversy about using gene therapy to weed out (what many consider) disabilities. Professor Ruha Benjamin notes that "technological innovation and social inequality often go hand in hand." She observes that "some conditions deemed medical problems by doctors are embraced as diversity by differently abled people."


Ruha Benjamin

Biochemist Gregor Wolbring, who uses a wheelchair, would not appreciate being 'cured.' Wolbring "is critical of entrepreneurs and scientists who champion gene therapies as miracle cures or as transformative tools of human enhancement." Wolbring fears gene manipulation will strip humanity of character and biological diversity. Referring to differently abled people, the biochemist says "You can understand people like me as part of human variation, or you can see us as being impaired and eliminate us from the population." Wolbring thinks this would be wrong, especially since differently abled people might have advantages for space travel and other future technologies.


Gregor Wolbring with his students

Thus, when speaking about gene therapy, many questions arise: "Who is gaining access to cutting-edge genetic medicine? Are there creative ways to democratize the field? Should parents be allowed to choose the genetic makeup of their children? How much can we actually change about the human condition by tinkering with DNA?"



Kirksey writes, "As a cultural anthropologist, I have often found myself opposing biologists in debates about human nature. My goal has been to map the broader impacts of genetic engineering for humanity. Using an anthropological lens, I examined new forms of power as scientists, corporate lobbyists, medical doctors, and biotechnology entrepreneurs worked to redesign life itself."


Author Eben Kirksey speaking at a genetic engineering conference

Kirksey describes a variety of experiments in which people manipulated human DNA, many of them aimed at curing HIV-AIDS. One of the best known experiments was performed by Chinese biophysics researcher Jiankui He, who went to graduate school in the United States, then did his experiments in China.


Jiankui He

Having HIV-AIDS makes life especially difficult in China, where people with the virus experience extreme discrimination. For that reason, preventing AIDS would be extremely desirable there. Dr. He hoped to help with the cause (and make a lot of money).

Kirksey explains Dr. He's experiments in detail, but in a nutshell:

Dr. He offered free experimental fertility treatments (in vitro fertilization) to couples with an HIV-positive man and an HIV-negative woman. Several couples consented to participate in Dr. He's research, and agreed that gene therapy could be used on their embryos, to reduce the children's' risk of becoming infected with HIV. Dr. He's goal was to destroy the embryos' CCR5 gene, which facilitates the entrance of HIV viruses into cells. In other words, cells without CCR5 genes are 'immune' to the AIDS virus.


In vitro fertilization clinic

The women in the experiment had their eggs removed and fertilized with their husbands' sperm. Dr. He then injected CRISPR-Cas9 into the eggs right after fertilization. If the genetic surgery was successful - and the CCR5 gene was destroyed - the embryo(s) were implanted in their mother's womb.


CRISPR is injected into fertilized egg

In October 2018 this experiment resulted in the birth of two CRISPR babies, Lulu and Nana.


CRISPR babies Lulu and Nana

Kirksey notes, "Dr. He's story is a gateway into a much bigger enterprise: the tale of CRISPR and the emergence of genetic medicine." Experiments along this line were already well under way in England, the United States and China - the aim being to develop medical applications of genetic surgery for adults. Kirksey goes on to say, "Gene therapy research is proceeding apace, and society will have to deal with the practicality, morality, and consequences of proceeding with this kind of medicine."


Genetic research has been proceeding apace

The author traveled to a number of laboratories, clinics, and conferences to research the book, and interviewed scientists, doctors, professors, sociologists, artists, disabled scholars, chronically ill patients, hackers, and others - who have a diversity of opinions about humanity and genetic engineering. Kirksey also visited Xinhua County, where Jiankui He grew up, and provides a mini-biography of the scientist.


A village in Xinhua County

Kirksey has a casual travelogue-type approach to his writing, and intersperses the genetic engineering parts of his story with snippets about his travels; hotels; accommodations; meals; conversations; and so on. I liked the journal-like style of the narrative, which added interest to the book (for me). For instance, Kirksey mentions that the lobby of Hong Kong's Le Méridien Cyberport Hotel has artwork depicting "a gorilla peeking out of an orange, smoking a cigarette";


Le Méridien Cyberport Hotel, Hong Kong

That he dined on "Korean BBQ followed by papaya and snow fungus cold soup" and ate "roast chicken, sour vegetable soup, dumplings, sautéed tofu, and sesame seed cakes";


Papaya and snow fungus cold soup

That Jay Johnson - who volunteered to become one of the world's first gene edited people in 2009 - is African American, has striking green eyes, wears a salt-and-pepper mustache, and has a subtle hoop ring in his right ear; and so forth.


Jay Johnson

Kirksey also likes to compare real world science with science fiction, and mentions Frankenstein, Blade Runner, Neuromancer, Gattaca, Wolverine, Altered Carbon, Star Wars, Terminator, Brave New World, and more. For instance, the Netflix show Stranger Things describes secret government experiments on children with unusual powers; and the X-Men movies feature beings with uncanny superpowers, who face severe persecution. Before long, the real world may begin to resemble science fiction.





On the downside, the story is a little all over the place, straying into areas that are only tangentially related to genetic engineering. Still, the book is interesting and informative, and well worth reading.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Eben Kirksey), and the publisher (St. Martin's Press) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "The Red Palace: A Novel of Suspense" by June Hur

 

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...


It's 1758 and Joseon dynasty Korea is a difficult place for illegitimate daughters. Eighteen-year-old Hyeon was born to Lord Shin and one of his concubines, but the girl is considered a vulgar commoner. Hyeon's father has no use for her, and - when Hyeon was eight-years-old - her mother abandoned her in front of a geisha house, hoping the girl would be taken in and trained to be an entertainer.



Shivering and frightened, little Hyeon was rescued by a passing woman, Nurse Jeongsu, who said, "I am an uinyeo (medical woman). You aren't alone now."



Nurse Jeongsu took Hyeon to the Hyeminseo (medical clinic), and over the following years, trained her to be a nurse.



Between caring for commoners and assiduously studying, Hyeon received the best marks, and now, having just turned eighteen, she's achieved the high rank of palace nurse.



In Joseon era Korea males are forbidden to touch women unrelated to them, so nurses examine female patients and report their findings to male doctors.



As the story opens, night is approaching and Hyeon and her fellow nurse Jieun.....



are summoned by Physician Nanshin.....



Phycisian Nanshin leads them to the palace of Crown Prince Jangheon.



When the healers enter the royal's bedchamber, the Crown Prince's wife Lady Hyegyoung loudly announces - so the servants and court ladies can hear - that His Highness has been ill for two days and is getting worse.



While Physician Nanshin examines the patient Hyeon is shocked to see that it isn't the Crown Prince at all. Instead, the royal's bed is occupied by an old man dressed in the Crown Prince's nightgown. The healers remain in the palace all night, pretending to care for Crown Prince Jangheon.



At one point Lady Hyegyoung summons Nurse Hyeon and Nurse Jieun. Lady Hyegyoung prevails on the nurses' discretion and asks them, if the King summons the Crown Prince, to say he's indisposed. Lying to the King is a death penalty offense, but Hyeon agrees, all the time wondering where Crown Prince Jangheon disappeared to.



The next morning, as Hyeon and Jieun are leaving the palace, they hear a servant tell Lady Hyegyoung that four women were murdered at the Hyeminseo. The nurses rush to the medical facility and see four bodies laid out in the courtyard, under straw mats. Hyeon pretends she was summoned to view the bodies and quickly examines the four corpses, who turn out to be a head nurse, two student nurses, and a court lady. Police Commander Song arrests Hyeon's mentor, Nurse Jeongsu, for the murders, but Hyeon is certain her teacher is innocent. So Hyeon decides to look for the real killer herself.

Hyeon's astute observations about the corpses impress a young police inspector called Eojin, who allows Hyeon to join his investigation.



Meanwhile, handbills are going up around the city, claiming the Crown Prince killed the women at the Hyeminseo. Eojin tells Hyeon that his superior, Police Commander Song, will be even more determined to blame Nurse Jeongsu now, to protect the royal family.

According to the law a verdict must be passed on Nurse Jeongsu within ten days of her interrogation, so Hyeon and Eojin have to hustle to solve the crimes. They look for the murder weapon and travel around the region to speak to witnesses and search for the truth. As the duo work together, romantic sparks ignite, but the situation is complicated by Eojin's much higher social status. A man of his class would normally take a commoner like Hyeons as a concubine rather than a wife, and Hyeon would never agree to that.



A highlight of the book is the peek at customs, laws, and palace politics of 18th century Korea, which was a paternalistic society with rigid social stratification, strict rules for men and women, and domestic spies everywhere. The novel also presents an informative picture of nursing in 1700s Korea, which was divided into three specialties: pulse reading to determine the level of balance in the body and mind; diagnosing illnesses and concocting and administering medicines; and acupuncture to alleviate illness and pains using the body's pressure points.


Acupuncture Chart

In an author's note at the end of the book, Hur explains that the story is loosely based on the real life of Crown Prince Sado (1735 - 1762). Crown Prince Sado was a murderer who allegedly killed a hundred people in his lifetime. To punish Sado, his father King Yeongjo had the prince enclosed in a rice chest, where Sado died of starvation eight days later. However, that doesn't mean Crown Prince Jangheon is the culprit in this book.


Crown Prince Sado


King Yeongjo

This is a compelling historical mystery in a unique and interesting setting.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jane Hur, and Macmillan Publishers for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3. 5 stars