Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

A Fierce Radiance

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 1,175 ratings · 385 reviews

From the New York Times bestselling author of City of Light comes a compelling, richly detailed tale of passion and intrigue set in New York City during the tumultuous early days of World War II.

Claire Shipley is a single mother haunted by the death of her young daughter and by her divorce years ago. She is also an ambitious photojournalist, and in the anxious days after P...more

From the New York Times bestselling author of City of Light comes a compelling, richly detailed tale of passion and intrigue set in New York City during the tumultuous early days of World War II.

Claire Shipley is a single mother haunted by the death of her young daughter and by her divorce years ago. She is also an ambitious photojournalist, and in the anxious days after Pearl Harbor, the talented Life magazine reporter finds herself on top of one of the nation's most important stories. In the bustling labs of New York City's renowned Rockefeller Institute, some of the country's brightest doctors and researchers are racing to find a cure that will save the lives of thousands of wounded American soldiers and countless others—a miraculous new drug they call penicillin. Little does Claire suspect how much the story will change her own life when the work leads to an intriguing romance.

Though Claire has always managed to keep herself separate from the subjects she covers, this story touches her deeply, stirring memories of her daughter's sudden illness and death—a loss that might have been prevented by this new "miracle drug." And there is James Stanton, the shy and brilliant physician who coordinates the institute's top secret research for the military. Drawn to this dedicated, attractive man and his work, Claire unexpectedly finds herself falling in love. But Claire isn't the only one interested in the secret development of this medicine. Her long-estranged father, Edward Rutherford, a self-made millionaire, understands just how profitable a new drug like penicillin could be. When a researcher at the institute dies under suspicious circumstances, the stakes become starkly clear: a murder has been committed to obtain these lucrative new drugs. With lives and a new love hanging in the balance, Claire will put herself at the center of danger to find a killer—no matter what price she may have to pay.

Lauren Belfer dazzled readers with her debut novel, City of Light, a New York Times notable book of the year. In this highly anticipated follow-up, she deftly captures the uncertainty and spirit, the dreams and hopes, of a nation at war. A sweeping tale of love and betrayal, intrigue and idealism, A Fierce Radiance is an ambitious and deeply engaging novel from an author of immense talent.(less)

ebook, 560 pages

Published June 15th 2010 by HarperCollins e-books (first published June 1st 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,965)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 23, 2012 Sandi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, historical-fiction

I won this through First Reads and thought that it would be really interesting. As far as I can tell it's a historical romance about a doctor who is trying to find a way to mass-produce penicillin and an up-and-coming photographer who wants to tell the story. The divorced photographer lost her young daughter to blood-poisoning caused by a small scrape several years later. I learned that it was really easy to die from stupid stuff like skinned knees. I also learned that the military conscripted t...more I won this through First Reads and thought that it would be really interesting. As far as I can tell it's a historical romance about a doctor who is trying to find a way to mass-produce penicillin and an up-and-coming photographer who wants to tell the story. The divorced photographer lost her young daughter to blood-poisoning caused by a small scrape several years later. I learned that it was really easy to die from stupid stuff like skinned knees. I also learned that the military conscripted the disparate penicillin researchers to speed up the development of mass-production techniques so they would lose fewer soldiers and get them back to the front sooner. With so much going for it, why did I give up on this book after reading 211 of its 530 pages?

First, the author does the one think I really hate to see in historical fiction. She includes nearly every fact she found interesting even if its completely irrelevant to the story. For example, the researcher and his sister (also a researcher) lost their parents to the 1918 influenza epidemic. In one scene (fairly close to where I gave up), the sister is alone in her apartment and starts thinking about her parents' deaths and how people had to bring their dead down to the street to be picked up by death carts from the churches. The city ran out of coffins and people had to be buried in mass graves. This flashback takes up 5-6 pages and doesn't do anything to move the main story forward. Futhermore, the character thinking about the epidemic was four years old at the time her parents died and wouldn't have even remembered all that detail. I lasted through 211 pages of similarly irrelevant flashbacks that seemed to serve the sole purpose of showing how much the author had learned.

The second reason I gave up is that the characters are so impossibly perfect, I couldn't relate to them. They're all beautiful or handsome, successful, and smart. They are flat and their emotions seem unreal. The romance between the doctor and the photographer progresses way too quickly with no romantic tension.

The last reason I gave up is the lack of a clear point of view. If two characters are together, the author bounces from one character's innermost thoughts to another's with nary a paragraph change between. It's annoying and confusing.

I really, really wanted to like this book and I really, really want to know how the penicillin thing works out. I just really, really don't want to wade through another 319 pages to get there. I have two shelves of books to read and several more on my Nook. I just don't have the time to spend wading through all this to find the little bit of story that's interesting.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in New York City during World War II, this novel follows the character Claire Shipley, a photographer for Life magazine, divorced single mother as she does her work and raises her son.
Claire is assigned to a story on penicillin, following the treatment of a patient at the Rockefeller Institute. Having lost a child to an infection, Claire is touched personally by the story. She is attracted to the lead doctor on the team, James Stanton.
We see the fascinating science going on during this time...more

like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Bonnie Brody rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Fierce Radiance' by Lauren Belfer is a compelling novel. Comprised of several genres, this is a book to pick up and savor. I was kept riveted by a combination of history, romance and mystery. This mix makes for athrilling ride that kept me enthralled throughout.

The era is 1941 through 1944. The book opens just after Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Our country has declared war and young men are being drafted or
signing up for the military. Some of us can still picture this era. For those of you w...more A Fierce Radiance' by Lauren Belfer is a compelling novel. Comprised of several genres, this is a book to pick up and savor. I was kept riveted by a combination of history, romance and mystery. This mix makes for athrilling ride that kept me enthralled throughout.

The era is 1941 through 1944. The book opens just after Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Our country has declared war and young men are being drafted or
signing up for the military. Some of us can still picture this era. For those of you who are younger, let me give you a taste. Disease is rampant. There is no cure for polio, streptococcus infections, pneumonia, sepsis, cholera,tetanus or scarlet fever. There is a season for every illness and parents are frightened all the time that their children will die. Adults are frightened for their own lives. On top of that, our nation is at war and, other than sulfa drugs, which have limited curative ability, the United States has no medications to halt infection or disease for its own military.

Claire Shipley is a successful photographer for `Life Magazine', the most popular news magazine in the nation. She has already lost one child to sepsis eight years ago. One day Emily fell on the sidewalk and cut her knee. A few days later she was dead. Her younger son, Charlie, is still living but Claire fears for his life at every turn. Claire is assigned to do a photo essay on penicillin, a new drug that is supposedly being developed. This miracle drug, developed from a green mold, is an antibiotic that is said to have the power to stop gram positive infections in their tracks.

Dr. James Stanton is a physician who is at the forefront of penicillin's development so, in a sense, he holds the key to life and death. However, the supply of this drug is very limited and it is being produced in jars, bedpans and whatever other containers can be found. James meets Claire during the photo shoot and sparks fly. Theirs is a love at first sight but they don't have much time because James is immediately sent to the war front. His job is to utilize the short supplies of penicillin on the injured servicemen.

Meanwhile, government agencies are becoming directly involved in the production of penicillin. Money is being allocated to institutes and scientists involved in its development. The pharmaceutical companies are ordered to cooperate rather than compete. The government declares that there is to be no patent on penicillin. Rather, it is to be developed by all private companies and utilized for wartime efforts.

James' sister, Tia, is working on an alternative type of antibiotic, one that comes from the soil. The pharmaceutical companies get wind of this and start pouring their efforts into what they term `the cousins' to penicillin - alternative antibiotics that work on gram negative as well as gram positive infections. This is being done in secret. Claire gets wind of this and tries to get to the bottom of things. Now things get very interesting and the book becomes a real thriller.

I loved Lauren Belfer's first novel, and 'A Fierce Radiance' does not disappoint. She has done her research. I am usually not a great fan of historical novels, but this one is different than most others. It grabs you and may even rip your shirt in the process. I suggest that you buckle down for a satisfying read. You'll be so riveted you may not be able to come up for air or find the time to sew your shirt.
(less)

like · see review

Feb 08, 2012 Renee rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, readers-choice, world-war-2

Despite the dreadful title, which sounds like a raunchy, erotic novel, I was drawn to this book because of it's cover. I then read the back and discovered that this is my favorite type of historical fiction - WWII era. I was even more intrigued when I read that the premise of this novel was the discovery and mass production of penecillin, something that I know little about. Combine that with a love story and a murder mystery and needless to say, I had high hopes for this book. But it definitely...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 13, 2011 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished was Fierce Radiance: A Novel by Lauren Belfer. It is basically the story of how penicillin was developed but goes into the male/female dichotomy of the period. Interesting book and an easy read. I didn’t want to put it down. Mystery and lots of intrigue. You would probably enjoy it. Steve Berry’s The Emperor’s Tomb: A Novel was wonderful. It is situated mostly in China and has a lot of history that I used to study about but this was a great way to make it so much more interestin...more

like · see review

Apr 14, 2011 Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

“A Fierce Radiance” by Lauren Belfer is a historical fiction book about the search for penicillin. The push came during World War II when the need for this miracle drug became as important as any weapon.

Claire Shipley, a single mother and a photojournalist working for Life magazine gets a new assignment, to document an experiment doctors are doing on a patient in New York's Rockefeller Institute. Luckily for Claire, handsome doctor Jamie Stanton is on hand. Not so lucky is the patient.

Not enou...more “A Fierce Radiance” by Lauren Belfer is a historical fiction book about the search for penicillin. The push came during World War II when the need for this miracle drug became as important as any weapon.

Claire Shipley, a single mother and a photojournalist working for Life magazine gets a new assignment, to document an experiment doctors are doing on a patient in New York's Rockefeller Institute. Luckily for Claire, handsome doctor Jamie Stanton is on hand. Not so lucky is the patient.

Not enough penicillin is yet available to treat a patient all the way to a healthy life.

As the romance between Claire & Jamie heats up, the race to produce penicillin goes into overdrive. An uneasy alliance between a government at war and private drug companies is forged – all for the common good (supposedly). The government wants the drug companies to stay focused on penicillin, they want to make a profit.
Someone is going to have to give.

A Fierce Radiance” by Lauren Belfer is a well written book which is compelling and interesting. There are spies, sex, big money, scrupulous industrialists, incorruptible scientist as well as corruptible ones. The book is suppose to me a mystery, but the real mystery is how Ms. Belfer succeeded in making a book about penicillin so interesting.

Ms. Belfer tells us that on "D-Day, in June 1944, every medic going ashore in France carried penicillin in his pack”. That is an amazing achievement if you think about it. Before the ability to tame penicillin one could day from getting scratched by a thorn – life was that fragile.

I purposely used the word “tame” because penicillin’s healing power has been known for ages, but only a Scottish scientist named Alexander Fleming is known for actually pinpointing, or discovering, the antibiotic.

This book is historical fiction at its best. The storytelling is smooth and focused. Many historical figure make appearances, even though none of them are actually the center of the tale. The race to produce penicillin is described in a fascinating way and best of all, I learned something.

The ability to mass produce penicillin literally changed the world overnight. No longer does a parent fear that their child will die from scarlet fever, pneumonia or even a trivial scratch gotten during play.

There is a murder somewhere in there, but the quest for penicillin is so engrossing that the mystery is almost a disruption. This digression, in my opinion, is actually the weakest part of this graceful book. However, the descriptions of war time New York more then makes up for that.

For more book reviews please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com (less)

like · see review

Jan 27, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The city is New York, the time is the Second World War, and the issue is Penicillin.

"A Fierce Radiance" is a well told story that uses th above three items to weave a story, true or untrue, about the emergence of penicillin into the medical world.

Prior to penicillin one of the deadliest conditions for man was an infection. Even a small cut could mean death within days if infected with a staphylococci strain.

CFlaire Shipley, a Life photographer, has lost a daughter to an infection and finds herse...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 30, 2010 Frances rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Lauren Belfer's City of Light came out, I devoured it. I don't generally adore historical novels, but this one about Niagra Falls and the building of an electrical system hooked me from the start. So when I heard that her new novel, A Fierce Radiance, was about the discovery of penicillin, I rushed to my library and put it on reserve.
Unfortunately, I wish I didn't move that fast. Belfer's second novel is not nearly as good as her first. It tells the story of a female photographer from Life...more

like · see review

Jul 25, 2010 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Fierce Radiance opens in the days following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; however this is not your typical war or home front story. The focus this time is on the development of a new drug, penicillin. The main character in a cast of many is Claire Shipley, a photojournalist with Life Magazine assigned to cover the development of the new antibacterial, and it’s related “cousins”. Soon the government gets involved in the development of the drug that is desperately needed for the War, and...more

like · see review

Jul 19, 2010 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Every woman I know who would not be offended by the frank language or sex. Some men, too.

Recommended to Richard by: I read a review.

First and last, this remarkable book is about a woman's life as a single mother in 1941-1944. Claire is an extraordinary photographer for Life Magazine, on a par with Margaret Bourke-White and Alfred Steiglitz, who covers everything from developing penicillin to the Rockettes.

The theme of this story is death and life, but mostly death. Considering these are the World War ll years, that's not so unusual, except very little of the action is outside New York City. Almost all the main characters die...more

like · see review

Jul 02, 2010 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We think of WW2 as inevitably won by the Allies, but during the war itself, that was far from a foregone conclusion. This book is a fictionalized account of NYC during the war and the race to create enough penicillin to treat soldiers wounded in battle. I was surprised to learn that penicillin was originally produced by growing the mold in old milk bottles and bedpans (euwe!).Another factoid I didn't know was that weather predictions were suspended then so that the German uboats would not know w...more

like · see review

Apr 25, 2010 Linda B rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Fierce Radiance crosses genres as a historical novel, a love story, a crime thriller, and a murder mystery. It captured my attention from the very beginning and held it throughout. Claire Shipley is a fascinating character as a photo journalist dealing with situations in her job, her family, and her relationships. Claire is assigned to a local hospital to report on a still experimental drug, penicillin, but her interest was more than professional. Penicillin could have saved the life of the da...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 25, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Fierce Radiance is a historical fiction thriller about the development of penicillin set at the dawn of WWII. Claire Shipley is a divorcee, mother, and a photojournalist at the very popular Life magazine. She has never quite recovered from the death of her three-year old daughter, Emily, from septicemia. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Claire is sent to photograph the use of Penicillin on a patient at the Rockefeller Institute in New York City.

There, Claire learns about the miraculous drug, Penici...more

like · see review

Jul 18, 2010 cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Fierce Radiance opens in the days following Pearl Harbor but the more immediate historical context is the development of penicillin and similar drugs. With this background, the novel develops both a love story and a murder mystery among a photographer, her family, and players in science and government looking for a medical breakthrough.

I'd give this 3.5 out of 5 if I could. I really enjoyed the background story much more than the feature plot. It feels unimaginable that just 70 years ago a sim...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 26, 2010 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

I just could not get into this book. I loved the setup – it takes place in the US during WWII and the deals with the advent of penicillin. It’s unique, I think, to find a WWII era book that takes place in America. Plus, with the penicillin angle it was a completely unique premise. However, something about the writing style really put me off. The prose was robotic in a way. Also, it’s like she always used 2-3 sentences to express something that could’ve been stated in one. Opening to a random pag...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2010 Dhara Mehta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lauren Belfer’s A Fierce Radiance is about Life magazine photo-journalist (Claire Shipley) is who still lamenting the death of her 3 year old daughter eight years on. Her divorce leaves her and her son, Charlie, alone. Her latest assignment is to cover the story of penicillin, a new medication that may potentially millions of lives. She sees a gentleman that is ‘resurrected’ from death by a few shots of this miracle medication. Yet he eventually dies due to the difficulty manufacturing it. The d...more Lauren Belfer’s A Fierce Radiance is about Life magazine photo-journalist (Claire Shipley) is who still lamenting the death of her 3 year old daughter eight years on. Her divorce leaves her and her son, Charlie, alone. Her latest assignment is to cover the story of penicillin, a new medication that may potentially millions of lives. She sees a gentleman that is ‘resurrected’ from death by a few shots of this miracle medication. Yet he eventually dies due to the difficulty manufacturing it. The doctor administrating the medication, Dr. Stanton, and his sister, Tia Stanton, who is working other antibacterials becomes her friends. At this time, Claire Shipley, also becomes re-acquainted with her estranged father Edward Rutherford. Tia Stanton mysterious dies, and her experimental substance disappears. The production of penicillin is taken over by the United States government, as its great need is recognized on the battlefield. Tycoons of industry are vying for the patents of other anti-microbials (such as the one that Tia Stanton is working on). Claire’s Shipley beloved son Charlie is afflicted with dreaded meningitis, there is no penicillin that can save him. Edward Rutherford brings to Charlie bedside a mysterious blue antibiotic that is untested in humans yet saves his life. A toxic effect of this medication is deafness. Claire Shipney learns form a doctor that the medication that cured Charlie is being treated on hapless Japanese Americans in concentration camps. Dr. Stanton realized that Edward Rutherford is somehow related to the death of his sister. His relationship with Claire practically dissolves. Claire former husband, Bill Shipley, comes back from WWII. Claire tells him about the new medication as it testing on Japanese. Bill Shipley investigates the US government role in anti-microbials. He murder is orchestrated by the US government. At the end of the novel, Claire and Jamie Stanton are attempting to reconcile when he gets sent fight in WWII. The death Tia Stanton remains a mystery.
The themes of this novel are the power of the government, the lack of independence of women and the collaboration of industry, government and scientists on making of new medications in a capitalist society. I would give the book three stars because of the loose morality that is found in the novel. I was dismayed by the thought process that lust is a basic need. Jamie and Claire affairs are portrayed very lightly. Furthermore, the two independent women in book are deemed helpless in a man’s world. Claire eventually gives in to her fallible father and Tia Stanton dies. It also deals to the lives of robber barons. They rob you blind and redeem themselves by becoming philanthropists. On a personal level as a clinical pharmacist working with anti-infectives, the life before penicillin is unthinkable. Many dedicated doctor still say on rounds please don’t let it be staph. I am glad the author highlights the resistance problem, the one that I encounter every day.

FQ
1. Of course she was she financially independent, which made all the difference (p 34)
2. To fear the judgment’s of others to look forward not backward, and to work toward her goal regardless of what others say to dissuade her.
3. Tia treated them as humanely as possible, even as she recognized the contradiction if the term humane in a world in which humans were slaughtering fellows humans in a war every day (57)
4. Love hate friendship continue in spite of war
5. In my experience, everyone has a skeleton in his professional closet.
6. In war there is no morality (p 491)
7. The two warring impulsed- to warn him, to denounce him, left her paralyzed
8. They lived in history not in ideals

(less)

like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Meichler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This would be another 3.5 star option, but leaned more toward 4 than 3. Set amoung the back drop of World War 2, and the miracle drug penicillin coming onto the market, A Fierce Radiance tells the story of a Life photographer, Claire, who gets involved in the development of penicillin, and begins investigating the competitive drugs (known as 'the cousins'), the pharma companies, the science behind it. There's a love story (meh not great), there's a murder mystery (again, not great), but what I f...more

like · see review

Aug 27, 2010 Meredith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read and enjoyed Lauren Belfer's first novel, City of Light, an historical novel set in Buffalo in 1901 on the eve of the Pan American Exposition. Since then, I have been anxioulsy awaiting her second. A Fierce Raidance is set in 1941 and chronicles the earliest penicillin trials (and the military's efforts to strong arm the drug companies into hurrying it to mass production....) as seen largely through the eyes of the novel's central protagonist, Claire Shipley, a photojournalist for Life Mag...more I read and enjoyed Lauren Belfer's first novel, City of Light, an historical novel set in Buffalo in 1901 on the eve of the Pan American Exposition. Since then, I have been anxioulsy awaiting her second. A Fierce Raidance is set in 1941 and chronicles the earliest penicillin trials (and the military's efforts to strong arm the drug companies into hurrying it to mass production....) as seen largely through the eyes of the novel's central protagonist, Claire Shipley, a photojournalist for Life Magazine. As in Belfer's first novel, the characters in A Fierce Radiance are rich, well-developed, and exceedingly nuanced. Told in shifting points of views, we follow several of the central characters as they struggle to make difficult decisions, both personal and professional. These are not black and white decisions, nor, happily for the reader, are the people making them. Mistatakes are made, innocents die, yet the central characters maintain our sympathies--often even when in direct opposition to each other.

As is the case with any good writer of historical fiction, Belfer's sense of place and time is central to the story. And, in a Fierce Radiance (as well as in City of Light) Belfer's research and evocative writing delivers. 1941 New York is as central a character as any in the novel. Belfer possesses a unique ability to set the tone and the stage for the story through well-chosen details and evocative descriptions of dress, smell, taste and landscape. Being born in the 1960s, my only visual exposure to the 1940s is through the wonderful black and white movies of the era, and my parents grainy black and white photographs. I could see the characters and the landscape as clearly as if it were shot in 35 mm black and white film. The only spot of color is Claire's ruby red lipstick.

My only lament is that at 500+ pages, this novel was over too quickly. I wish only Ms. Belfer had a speedier pen; however, I understand that novels this well-researched and well-written take years to produce. I happily await Ms. Belfer's next novel, whenever that may be. (less)

like · see review

Jul 11, 2011 Becky Haase rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading this novel about the search for and production of antibiotics during World War II. The interlocking romance and mystery kept my interest. The characters were believable and the situations reminded me of tales I had heard from my relatives who lived through the war. Because I survived a bout with double pneumonia only because of penicillin and then survived my reaction to the drug only because of a doctor who had seen such reactions in soldiers he had treated, I was especially i...more

like · see review

Jun 29, 2010 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great story and I loved learning about the development of penicillin and its "cousins". It is really astounding that 70 years ago people died from infections that one application of Neosporin would probably curtail. The story moves well and the writing is fine with one notable exception, the dialogue was so stilted and trite. Every time Claire "spoke" I cringed. Her thoughts were fine, it was just the dialogue that did not ring true. She comes across as a real stiff. However while Claire was not...more

1 like · like · see review

May 25, 2011 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, history

This was such an interesting historical fiction novel. The setting is New York City during WWII. The theme is mostly about the development of penicillin and other antibiotics, but within the context of people's lives during that turbulent time and place. Clair, the protagonist, is a single mother who works as a photographer for LIFE magazine - which was a quite detailed part of the book that would be of interest to those with interest in photography. Years before she lost a daughter to septicemi...more

like · see review

Aug 12, 2010 Wanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a huge disappointment. I was expecting to read an adult version of a historical fiction. Instead I felt as if I was reading a book off the juvenile shelf; which would have been ok if it had been written with the young teenager in mind. Some of the content would not be appropriate for that age group.

The female photographer for Life magazine could have been a very interesting character. In fact, she interested me enough to do some of my own research on Life magazine.

The author certai...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2011 Zoë (In The Next Room) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, historical-fiction

A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer is a historical novel set in New York City following Pearl Harbour. It centres around Claire Shipley, a divorced mother whose daughter died of blood poisoning when she was four. Raising her young son alone in the city, Claire works as a photographer for Life magazine and what begins as a simple story about a new drug being developed turns into so much more. Claire can't help feeling a connection to the penicillin story, it is a drug that could have saved her da...more A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer is a historical novel set in New York City following Pearl Harbour. It centres around Claire Shipley, a divorced mother whose daughter died of blood poisoning when she was four. Raising her young son alone in the city, Claire works as a photographer for Life magazine and what begins as a simple story about a new drug being developed turns into so much more. Claire can't help feeling a connection to the penicillin story, it is a drug that could have saved her daughter, but she also finds herself drawn to the doctor in charge of the research, James Stanton, in what will become a complicated love story. Things are complicated even further when penicillin gets the attention of the government and it, and its 'cousins', present the possibility of huge financial gain for the company developing them and when a mysterious death occurs, it turns out that gain may have been motivation for murder. If only somebody can discover the truth...

Although A Fierce Radiance presents a bit like a murder mystery, the murder itself is at the back of the reader's mind for much of the story and doesn't even occur until about a third of the way through the book. In that sense it reminded me of another bulky historical novel I had read recently, The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia, where the murder is used as a reason for telling an important story but where the true interest lies is with the details surrounding the time. Likewise, the focus of A Fierce Radiance is on what life was like before the development of antibiotics, when a man could die of a blister from wearing new shoes, and the excitement that came with their discovery. The story was also really interesting when it came to what it was like in the United States during World War II, everyone surrounding Claire fully believes that the Nazis will attack and bomb them, possibly taking control of the city. Of course, readers now will know that this did not in fact happen, but Belfer makes the possibility feel completely real and scary.

Although I enjoyed the historical aspect of A Fierce Radiance, romance played a much bigger role than I expected and I wasn't not particularly enthralled by the love story (I rarely am). The romantic focus is the main reason I find myself unlikely to reread the novel as I felt it weighted down the story. I also felt that the book occasionally got off-topic, like Belfer had discovered something interesting she wanted to share even if it wasn't completely relevant to the story. Although the entire story is told in the third person, and the main character is definitely Claire, the focus shifts to different characters throughout the novel in a way I sometimes found distracting. There were also a few situations I found improbable, although they may have happened, I just didn't quite believe them within the context of the novel. The strongest part of A Fierce Radiance was definitely Belfer's eye for historical details which made the time period come to life and overall it was a rich and informative experience. (less)

like · see review

Jun 22, 2010 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those interested in a different perspective on WW II

Shelves: historical-fiction, science, mystery, east-coast-us, photography, women, war, 20th-century, first-reads-10

Thank you Goodreads--another First Reads win!

Belfer is a great story teller. I loved the protagonist, Claire Shipley, a photojournalist with Life magazine, caught up in the scientific world of penicillin research during World War II, and the political intrigue of the early 1940s. She was definitely a woman ahead of her time—strong and career oriented.

The book is well researched and well-told. I was intrigued from beginning to end. The details surrounding World War II and life at the time in New...more Thank you Goodreads--another First Reads win!

Belfer is a great story teller. I loved the protagonist, Claire Shipley, a photojournalist with Life magazine, caught up in the scientific world of penicillin research during World War II, and the political intrigue of the early 1940s. She was definitely a woman ahead of her time—strong and career oriented.

The book is well researched and well-told. I was intrigued from beginning to end. The details surrounding World War II and life at the time in New York City are fascinating and a real education. Among other things one learns about medical experiments performed in Japanese Internment camps (specifically Camp Minidoka in Idaho); that “Fifth Columnists” was the term used for Japanese, German and Italian-American traitors who supported their native countries during the war; and that Bund referred to Nazi sympathizers who had gone underground. And, I got a kick out of this piece of trivia—servicemen injected hothouse cherry tomatoes with vodka to make portable Bloody Mary’s.

I found myself googling various historical characters to learn more about them. I’d never heard of Vannevar Bush (no relation to the Presidents Bush) who not only was in charge of penicillin distribution to the military, but was also a primary organizer of the Manhattan Project. Belfer describes Henry Luce as being unapproachable and his wife, Clare Booth Luce, is referred to as a holy terror, snobbish, condescending and mean-spirited. John D. Rockefeller is depicted as a gaunt old man who handed out small change and leered at pretty young nurses.

I was amazed at how many personal links I have with this story—my father was a research physician and developed two drugs still on the market; I had scarlet fever when I was in 2nd grade and was isolated in an upstairs bedroom. My dad gave me quarters to swallow huge sulfa tablets. This was after WW II, but I know even then my dad was very cautious about the use of penicillin as your body can acclimate itself to it until the drug no longer works. Before digital photography took over my life, I was a dark room photographer. Claire in the darkroom printing and manipulating photos brought back memories of my days in the photo lab at IU. My love of baseball is even represented when Claire attends a Dodgers vs. Pirates game held early because of the dim-outs. Fans were instructed to throw foul balls back to be sent to the Armed Service’s teams.. . . and though the story primarily takes place in New York, it ends in Indiana, my home state.

Belfer uses descriptive imagery much like she’s telling the story through the lens of a camera as the repeating ‘hats’ image shows; i.e. her fashion shoot at the Brooklyn Navy Yard with the models wearing Johnny Jeep hats (small round khaki hats with an all-around brim inspired by army hats). And, when she covers the aftermath of the Coconut Grove nightclub fire in Boston—with hundreds dead and hundreds more injured, her final shot is of a stack of hats found at the scene. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Belier, herself, is a photographer.

I loved the truth of this novel—as the author explains it—the shades of grey. Besides the thrill of adventure, the revelation of that part of U.S. history and the correlation of politics and science; we learn through her characters that we can’t expect perfection from others. It’s a fascinating and worthwhile read. I’m definitely going to look for Belfer’s other book “City Of Light.” She made me a fan with this one.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm pretty stingy with that fifth star, but may just return to add one if the story stays with me. A variety of factors connects me with this book: I'm a mother of a daughter, then son; love photography; a husband in pharmaceuticals; a lover of historical fiction, especially in WWII era; prone to previously potentially life-threatening scrapes; and a sucker for impossible love. Enough about me. Other reviewers (who irk me by writing reviews when they don't finish reading the book!) rip the autho...more

like · see review

Jun 18, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, historical-fiction, 21st-century, american-lit, female-authors, own, read-2010, wwii

I won this through the goodreads first-reads program, and I am waiting for my copy to arrive. Review to follow upon receipt!

****

Finally, I won a book from first-reads that I really, really enjoyed! A Fierce Radiance is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. You can read the goodreads description for more information, but, briefly, this book is set in the year and a half following Pearl Harbor. The protagonist, Claire Shipley,is a photojournalist for Life magazine who gets assigned to cover a s...more I won this through the goodreads first-reads program, and I am waiting for my copy to arrive. Review to follow upon receipt!

****

Finally, I won a book from first-reads that I really, really enjoyed! A Fierce Radiance is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. You can read the goodreads description for more information, but, briefly, this book is set in the year and a half following Pearl Harbor. The protagonist, Claire Shipley,is a photojournalist for Life magazine who gets assigned to cover a story about a new, miracle drug called penicillin. Doctors, researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and the government are all working over-time to mass produce the new drug which everyone believes will save the lives of thousands of American soldiers.

I have to admit that I knew nothing about this part of American history. I knew that penicillin had been "discovered" in the 1920s, but I did not know that is wasn't until WWII that penicillin was mass produced and available for use (and even then it was only used military purposes.) Because antibiotics are so readily available these days, I admit that I had never given much thought to what happened to people before they could go to their local drug store with their prescription for penicillin (or one of the related drugs). It seems unfathomable to me that people could die from a simple scratch. It was worth it for me to read this book to learn the little bit I did about penicillin production during the 1940s.

The great thing, however, is this book is more than just a story about penicillin. It truly has something for everyone. There is a love story when Claire falls in love with one of the doctors who are researching penicillin. There is a murder/suspense story line when another doctor working on the penicillin project dies under mysterious circumstances. There is family intrigue when Claire is reunited with her estranged father, a multi-millionaire who purchases one of the pharmaceutical companies working on penicillin (and some side projects). Finally, there is also, at least implicitly, a discussion of morality, both in war and in pharmaceutical production. Like I said before, there is something for everyone. I would definitely recommend this book, particularly for people who enjoy 20th century historical fiction. (less)

like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: institute-of-adult-learning, crime, family-matters, famous-person, historical, wwii

I read this book with my Institute for Adult Learning Contemporary Literature Class. The theme for this semester is Effects of War. This novel deals with the efforts to mass produce penicillin to aid the wounded soldiers in World War II, and the development of other antibiotics. This of course was a good effect of war, but since the U.S. government held the patent on penicillin itself, big business was in a great rush to develop, and secure patents, on antibiotic "cousins." According to the nove...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2011 Randi Reisfeld rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Forget the misleading title, which makes it sound like a cheesy bodice-ripper (or maybe that's just me). This is actually a story of New York City during WW2, the testing and development of penicillin and offshot antibiotics, and the greed of big pharma. Yep, there's a murder; yep, there's a love story plus a "pioneering" single career-woman mom in the late '40s and a mix of real people (Henry and Clare Booth Luce) and fictional. It's all that, but what I loved most were the spot-on descriptions...more

like · see review

Oct 11, 2011 Jana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really long and overdramatic story which couldn't decide if it was a romance or a mystery. However, the history in here about the development of penicillin (and the way people dropped off like flies before it) was fascinating.

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: clsc

My initial reaction after completing A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer was: Wow.
A Fierce Radiance takes place during World War II, focusing on the development of penicillin. The book follows Claire Shipley who is a photographer/reporter for Life magazine as she lives during WWII. Claire is given the opportunity to follow what she feels is an important story about the beginnings of penicillin. As Claire (and readers) learn more about this new drug she also gets to know some of the scientists an...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 98 99 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
book club at my house	1	10	Aug 12, 2011 05:59pm

combine
Other Editions (7)

More editions...

Genres

Historical Fiction

93 users

Mystery

19 users

History > World War II

17 users

Book Club

14 users

Medical

8 users

Novels

5 users

Womens

5 users

Reference > Research

4 users

Literature > American

4 users

Health > Medicine

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Lauren Belfer

Lauren Belfer was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in Buffalo, where she attended the Buffalo Seminary. At Swarthmore College, she majored in Medieval Studies. After graduating, she worked as a file clerk at an art gallery, a paralegal, an assistant photo editor at a newspaper, a fact checker at magazines, and as a researcher and associate producer on documentary films. She has an M.F.A. f...more

More about Lauren Belfer...

Books by Lauren Belfer

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About A Fierce Radiance

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

title link	preview: A Fierce Radiance
avg rating	preview: A Fierce Radiance Goodreads rating: 3.52 (1175 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8387337-a-fierce-radiance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349029825l/8387337.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8387337-a-fierce-radiance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer[/url]

A Fierce Radiance

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website