As a person treated for active TB 20 years ago, this book really resonated with me. I appreciated how the personal lives of the black nurses and doctors working on a TB cure were woven into the narrative. The stories reminded me that while some societal issues have improved, many are still the same. Racism, intolerance, politicizing the cure (profits) over people, even masking/no masking are still in the forefront of society today.

The description of the shame of disease and discovery of the cure hit me deep. The chapter on Isoniazid gave me chills as it was eventually found to be a cure. I was treated with INH along with several other drugs for 18 months to cure TB and it saved my life. Even with good health insurance coverage, I was sent to the public health department for all treatments because most primary care physicians didn’t know how to treat active TB. I had to be reported as an infectious disease carrier. At the time, I was a mom with 3 small children and not your “typical” TB patient. I felt shame potentially exposing my loved ones and others to this disease.

I admire the amount of research Ms Smilios did to craft these stories. I was intrigued going through the journey and I’m so thankful there is a cure for this terrible disease. I am grateful that she brought these stories and these caring, dedicated health care professionals to light.

This story needs to be taught in schools if it’s not already. These black women risked their lives during a difficult time.

This should be a part of any medical history or health equity book collection.

As with the history of most medical illnesses and major discoveries or standard treatments we know today, there were important figures that we don’t learn about in medical, nursing etc schools let alone general education. These forgotten figures are always members of marginalized groups .
This book walks us through the historical side of this disease that most of us have never learned. It follows one black nurse who served in the wards of the tuberculosis hospital but also shared insights from other nurses who also lived and worked here during the height of the disease epidemic.

For anyone interested in health equity and social determinants of health, this is an absolutely must read title. It would be a great addition to the reading list of any health education programs or health equity book clubs.