It's 1954, and Rachel Rabinowitz is a nurse in the hospice wing of the Old Hebrews Home in NYC. When a bed opens up, a new patient named Mildred Solomon comes under Rachel's care. Solomon's insistence at being called "Doctor" leads Rachel to wonder if this is the same Dr. Solomon that performed numerous X-rays on her when she was at the Hebrew Infant Home in the early 1920s, leading to Rachel's permanent baldness. It is.
This leads Rachel to attempt to learn more about Dr. Solomon and her X-ray treatments. What Rachel thought were treatments for an illness turn out to be X-rays done on healthy children for medical research purposes. Alternating chapters present snapshots of her earlier life alongside her current one, so we understand how she perceived events when they happened to her, as well as how she feels about them now, when she has more facts. As Rachel's understanding unfolds, her anger at what she was subjected to rises, and she debates exacting revenge on Dr. Solomon.
I enjoyed reading this book, especially the added chapter in the back where the author shares some of her family history (complete with photos), which was inspiration for much of the book. Although I didn't always like how Rachel reacted to events, I felt that she was portrayed realistically, and struggled with tough emotions like we all do at times.
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