The Vines

I knew nothing about this island before reading this, which is yet another reason why historical fiction is so damn insightful and important. Fiction + learning about actual history = happy reader (at least for me). In this case, the history is really disturbing (human experiments, deaths, and more), but it's important to be highlighted as well (case in point - me - I did not know about this prior to reading). Nolden writes a riveting his.fic. that divulges well-researched information about an island more should know about.

The Vines is a story that ties together modern advances in microbiology and vaccination with a historical background.

It begins with Finn, a descendent of a family of microbiologists in some form. He discovers a scarred woman named Cora and begins to unravel her connection to his family and the small, abandoned New York island she resides on. We find that Cora has been experimented on for decades and hosts multiple epidemic diseases, including typhoid and smallpox. It is up to Finn to discover how she has lived so long, determine the extent of his family's unethical treatment, and try his best to help her.

I particularly enjoyed the historical aspects of the story. Many famous scientists and their discoveries, such as Leeuwenhoek's “animalcules,” are discussed. It also brings a focus to ethics and if one person's suffering for the “benefit” of mankind acceptable.