Review of Unclean Hands
Posted: 27 Oct 2021, 14:37
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Unclean Hands" by Andrew Schafer.]
COVID-19 has shown us how basic hygiene can save lives. When there were no vaccines to protect humanity from the virus, the world resorted to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as regular washing of hands. In Unclean Hands by Andrew Schafer, we follow a young and impressionable Ignác Semmelweis as he heads out to a university in Vienna to study law. His dear friend and roommate, Marko, helped him to get settled and acquainted with the area. Marko planted seeds of doubt in Ignác and convinced him to change from law to medicine. It took little convincing, and Ignác swapped briefcases for stethoscopes and registered for a qualification in medicine.
As an Aspirant of Professor Klein, Doctor Ignác began practicing at Allgemeine Krankenhaus in 1844. When he joined the hospital, he learned that mothers and children were dying in large numbers shortly after childbirth due to childbed fever. Determined to stop the deaths, Doctor Ignác identified the root cause of the fever transmission and discovered that regular washing of hands could help curb the deaths. Implementing the handwashing regimen came with many challenges, and the young doctor soon learned how the dirty games of politics influence the decisions made by medical fraternities in Vienna. Did the introduction of regular and vigorous hand washing help decrease or eliminate childbed fever deaths? Who was against the implementation of a potential breakthrough measure, and what did they stand to gain? To what lengths were the gatekeepers willing to go to ensure that Dr. Ignác’s handwashing strategy failed? Read Unclean Hands to get answers to these questions and be enlightened.
The storyline was exceptionally crafted and well-executed, and the characters were well-developed and believable. I liked Dr. Ignác’s multi-dimensional character. Following his personal life and career journey added to my enjoyment of the novel. The editing of the book was impeccable, as I only spotted a few minor errors, and the storyline flowed smoothly.
I was outraged at the treatment Dr. Ignác received from his colleagues and superiors and the attempts to silence him. Learning about individuals who are willing to go to extreme lengths to silence those who discover monumental breakthroughs is not only heartbreaking, but it is an injustice to humanity. Imagine if a COVID-19 vaccine was found, but those in power prevented the masses from ever knowing about it, let alone benefit from it. This novel paints a grim picture of how politics can affect the quality of life of citizens.
One of the positive aspects of this book was the inclusion of endnotes. Although the book is a historical fiction novel, the author drew inspiration from the true story of Ignác Semmelweis, who lived over a hundred years ago. The endnotes provided additional reading material and resources on the real Ignác Semmelweis to support the statements made in the novel. He also used the endnotes to provide background stories about some of the characters and events. I was also delighted to learn how, despite being a civilized and scientifically advanced world, we still rely on methods that were discovered and used centuries ago.
I did not find any negative aspects in this book. For this reason and the fact that I enjoyed the novel, I am rating it 4 out of 4 stars.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction novels. Part of my enjoyment of the book was heightened by the inclusion of chemists and pharmacist characters. I, therefore, believe that readers who like science-related novels will enjoy this book.
******
Unclean Hands
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
COVID-19 has shown us how basic hygiene can save lives. When there were no vaccines to protect humanity from the virus, the world resorted to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as regular washing of hands. In Unclean Hands by Andrew Schafer, we follow a young and impressionable Ignác Semmelweis as he heads out to a university in Vienna to study law. His dear friend and roommate, Marko, helped him to get settled and acquainted with the area. Marko planted seeds of doubt in Ignác and convinced him to change from law to medicine. It took little convincing, and Ignác swapped briefcases for stethoscopes and registered for a qualification in medicine.
As an Aspirant of Professor Klein, Doctor Ignác began practicing at Allgemeine Krankenhaus in 1844. When he joined the hospital, he learned that mothers and children were dying in large numbers shortly after childbirth due to childbed fever. Determined to stop the deaths, Doctor Ignác identified the root cause of the fever transmission and discovered that regular washing of hands could help curb the deaths. Implementing the handwashing regimen came with many challenges, and the young doctor soon learned how the dirty games of politics influence the decisions made by medical fraternities in Vienna. Did the introduction of regular and vigorous hand washing help decrease or eliminate childbed fever deaths? Who was against the implementation of a potential breakthrough measure, and what did they stand to gain? To what lengths were the gatekeepers willing to go to ensure that Dr. Ignác’s handwashing strategy failed? Read Unclean Hands to get answers to these questions and be enlightened.
The storyline was exceptionally crafted and well-executed, and the characters were well-developed and believable. I liked Dr. Ignác’s multi-dimensional character. Following his personal life and career journey added to my enjoyment of the novel. The editing of the book was impeccable, as I only spotted a few minor errors, and the storyline flowed smoothly.
I was outraged at the treatment Dr. Ignác received from his colleagues and superiors and the attempts to silence him. Learning about individuals who are willing to go to extreme lengths to silence those who discover monumental breakthroughs is not only heartbreaking, but it is an injustice to humanity. Imagine if a COVID-19 vaccine was found, but those in power prevented the masses from ever knowing about it, let alone benefit from it. This novel paints a grim picture of how politics can affect the quality of life of citizens.
One of the positive aspects of this book was the inclusion of endnotes. Although the book is a historical fiction novel, the author drew inspiration from the true story of Ignác Semmelweis, who lived over a hundred years ago. The endnotes provided additional reading material and resources on the real Ignác Semmelweis to support the statements made in the novel. He also used the endnotes to provide background stories about some of the characters and events. I was also delighted to learn how, despite being a civilized and scientifically advanced world, we still rely on methods that were discovered and used centuries ago.
I did not find any negative aspects in this book. For this reason and the fact that I enjoyed the novel, I am rating it 4 out of 4 stars.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction novels. Part of my enjoyment of the book was heightened by the inclusion of chemists and pharmacist characters. I, therefore, believe that readers who like science-related novels will enjoy this book.
******
Unclean Hands
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
