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Synopsis
‘Atmospheric and fascinating’ - Hilary Mantel
Shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize and winner of the Medical Journalists' - Association Open Book Award
In the winter of 1790, a mysterious and deadly disease strikes the unsuspecting town of Aberdeen. The victims are all women in the prime of life. Determined to save his patients, talented young physician Alec Gordon embarks on an astonishing medical quest. What he discovers will shake the small, close-knit community to the core and change his own life – and that of his wife and young daughter – forever.
Based on the true story of Alexander Gordon, the first person to discover that infectious diseases were transmitted by human contact, Touching Distance is a stunning historical novel set in Scotland and the West Indies in the Age of Enlightenment. It centres on a deadly epidemic without a cure, history’s very first ‘track and trace’, and Gordon’s desperate attempts to make people understand the vital importance of hand-washing and social-distancing, over a century before they were scientifically proven. A vivid portrait of a pivotal moment in world history, it is also a universal tale of intimacy and estrangement, reason and passion, corruption and courage.
The novel’s key themes include medical whistle-blowers, doctors and midwives on the frontline of a deadly disease, the battle between scientific truth and political self-interest, Britain’s deep links with colonialism and slavery, the dangerous intersection of racism and sexism, and the impact of epidemics on women. Touching Distance by Rebecca Abrams is a novel that speaks powerfully to crucial issues we are still grappling with today.
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About the Author
Rebecca Abrams is the author of both fiction and non-fiction. Her non-fiction titles include When Parents Die, a classic in its field, and Three Shoes, One Sock and No Hairbrush, the best-selling guide to having a second child. Her novel, Touching Distance, was shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize and won the Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Award (2009).
An award-winning journalist, Rebecca is a former columnist on the Daily Telegraph and a long-standing reviewer for the Guardian. Born in 1963, she has lived in America and Switzerland and now lives in Oxford with her husband and two children.
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Paperback. Condition: Good. Touching Distance tells the story of a deadly epidemic without a cure. It is a stunning historical novel of passion, reason and hidden corruption set in 1790s Scotland. Seller Inventory # CIN1447236742G
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Atmospheric and fascinating - Hilary Mantel Shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize and winner of the Medical Journalists' - Association Open Book AwardIn the winter of 1790, a mysterious and deadly disease strikes the unsuspecting town of Aberdeen. The victims are all women in the prime of life. Determined to save his patients, talented young physician Alec Gordon embarks on an astonishing medical quest. What he discovers will shake the small, close-knit community to the core and change his own life and that of his wife and young daughter forever.Based on the true story of Alexander Gordon, the first person to discover that infectious diseases were transmitted by human contact, Touching Distance is a stunning historical novel set in Scotland and the West Indies in the Age of Enlightenment. It centres on a deadly epidemic without a cure, historys very first track and trace, and Gordons desperate attempts to make people understand the vital importance of hand-washing and social-distancing, over a century before they were scientifically proven. A vivid portrait of a pivotal moment in world history, it is also a universal tale of intimacy and estrangement, reason and passion, corruption and courage. The novels key themes include medical whistle-blowers, doctors and midwives on the frontline of a deadly disease, the battle between scientific truth and political self-interest, Britains deep links with colonialism and slavery, the dangerous intersection of racism and sexism, and the impact of epidemics on women. Touching Distance by Rebecca Abrams is a novel that speaks powerfully to crucial issues we are still grappling with today. Touching Distance tells the story of a deadly epidemic without a cure. It is a stunning historical novel of passion, reason and hidden corruption set in 1790s Scotland. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781447236740