Description

From butcher’s daughter in communist Hungary to winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, this is the story of one woman’s extraordinary determination and her breakthrough discovery that saved millions of lives.

‘Riveting. A true story of a brilliant biochemist who never gave up or gave in’ BONNIE GARMUS
‘This remarkable memoir … is a joy to read’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘Kariko’s story is an inspiration’ BILL GATES

Katalin Kariko began life as a butcher’s daughter in communist Hungary. Raised in a one-room home of clay and straw with no running water, she saw potential everywhere: in the promise of a seed, in the alchemy of soap, in the scarlet of a carcass.

Breaking Through is the extraordinary story of her courageous determination – first to become a scientist, and then to unlock an elusive molecule she believed could revolutionise medicine. Others disagreed, and for decades she endured demotions, discrimination and even threats of deportation. Yet Kariko persevered, ultimately making a world-shifting discovery: the mRNA vaccine technology that saved millions of lives and will transform healthcare forever.

‘A vividly written, absorbing memoir’ GUARDIAN
‘It is almost impossible not to feel moved by this story’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
‘Will make you laugh, think and maybe even readjust the way you see the world’ KATJA HOYER

*An Amazon Best Book of the Year* *One of Nature’s five best science books for 2024* *A Financial Times Best Summer Book of 2024*

Publisher Review

Few have overcome adversity like Kariko … This remarkable memoir … is a joy to read * Financial Times * [The] engrossing, touching tale … of a scientist now recognised as one of the world’s greatest … a vividly written, absorbing memoir * GUARDIAN * It is almost impossible not to feel moved by this story of an extraordinarily resilient woman * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT * Riveting. A true story of a brilliant biochemist who never gave up or gave in. — BONNIE GARMUS Kariko’s story is an inspiration — BILL GATES Will make you laugh, think and maybe even readjust the way you see the world — KATJA HOYER A classic in the genre of underdogs succeeding against the odds * New Scientist * Little did the public know that this feat [a Covid vaccine] was largely down to one woman’s relentless perseverance. Breaking Through … charts the painstaking journey she undertook as a woman and an immigrant to convince the scientific community to take her work seriously … rich with colourful metaphors that bring the immune system to life … Kariko also lays bare a startling truth: even life-saving scientific discovery is not immune to ego, favouritism and sexism * NEW STATESMAN * A riveting testament to resilience and the power of unwavering belief — JENNIFER DOUDNA, Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry The rousing story of a remarkable woman and her lifesaving contributions to medicine * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *