A tragic and compelling historical novel that you won't forget. See also the recent nonfiction account of Semmelweis's life, "The Doctors' Plague: Germs, Childbed Fever, and the Strange Story of Ignác Semmelweis" by Sherwin B. Nuland. ( )

A truly great book. Sad. The man who figured out that sanitary conditions in hospitals were crucial to stopping the transmission of diseases was ultimately hounded out of his profession by his peers. Their bloody hands and garments were status symbols they didn't want to give up. Moving. I particularly like the 1950's style babe on the cover of my paperback. :) ( )