What a story! This historical fiction story was reminiscent of the history I learned from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. This story, based on actual historical events, highlights the sad truth in the not-so-distant past, where medical procedures have been done on underprivileged and misrepresented community members without their full understanding or informed consent. These defenseless, helpless patients are subject to loathsome, beyond reprehensible misconduct from misguided individuals in the medical community.
I was taken aback by the lack of ethics that the clinic's white director had in the story - moreover, it shocked me that somehow she felt justified in her actions. This truly underscores the sad truth that has plagued black impoverished populations in our nation. The very people trusted to help are often the ones misleading.
I had no idea this had taken in place in America's heartland. And the more I researched after reading this novel, the more I recognized that this was not an isolated incident. This, and similar situations have taken place in numerous places around the nation - it is not only astonishing, but absolutely appalling.
Some parts of the story were a bit cringe-worthy, as far as the lack of boundaries Civil had. There was a fair amount of inappropriate behavior exhibited by her as she crossed the professional line with both her clients and their father a few too many times..
However, kudos to the author for bringing this injustice to light and allowing us to learn from our tragic history.
Read 11/22/23
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