Description: "Belfer''s prose is heartbreaking, as are her twin themes of love and betrayal, both romantic and familial. . . . She also has a gift for rejuvenating spirit of place--turn-of-the-20th-century Buffalo in City of Light and wartime New York here." - USA Today "Belfer keeps a tight rein on the plot and never lets the pacing go slack, while at the same time creating nuanced, complex characters." - Wichita Eagle "This is a book to pick up and savor....A thrilling ride that kept me enthralled throughout." - Mostly Fiction.com "With an exquisite artist''s eye for detail that puts readers right in the middle of New York City and the World War II fronts and incorporating all the elements of a hot, sprawling, page-turning romance--not to mention espionage, murder, crime-scene deceptions, big business intrigue, and family estrangements--Belfer once again blends fiction and facts with riveting results" - Library Journal (starred review) "A FIERCE RADIANCE is a feast of storytelling wonders, mixing corporate greed, murder, espionage, fraying family ties and irresistible descriptions of old New York. . . in a morality tale about one drug''s power to save lives--and how ordinary humans aren''t necessarily equal to that daunting task. " - Salon.com "Belfer''s first novel, City of Light, delineated the social and political tension of Buffalo, N.Y. at the beginning of the age of electricity. A FIERCE RADIANCE is similarly ambitious, combining medical and military history with commercial rivalry, espionage and thwarted love. Belfer clearly knows her scientific material. She also knows how to turn esoteric information into an adventure story, and how to tell that story very well." - New York Times Book Review "Belfer combines life-and-death scenarios, romance, murder, and wartime reality at home and abroad, while taking a stab at industrialists who profit by dubious means and salve their consciences through philanthropy. . . . An engrossing and ambitious novel that vividly portrays a critical time in American history." - Booklist (starred review) "Enthralling. A FIERCE RADIANCE shines with fascinating detail about a moment in American history we have mostly forgotten, when penicillin was new, miraculous, and in short supply. Belfer''s powerful portrayal of how people are changed in pursuit of a miracle makes this book an especially compelling read." - Nancy Horan, author of Loving Frank Lauren Belfer''s panoramic new novel is a love story wrapped around a spy story with a pivotal medical breakthrough at its center." - O magazine This fulsome tale of a modern marvel, and what life was like before it became ubiquitous, crackles with twists and turns. . . . It''s also a beautiful valentine to 1940s New York City and its neighborhoods, painted with great affection. A FIERCE RADIANCE''s life, humanity, and crack mystery was worth the wait. Highly recommended. - Historical Novels Review "All these story lines are tied up to the reader''s satisfaction and in every one of them there is a common thread: there are shades of gray everywhere in judging the morality of human actions. All of Belfer''s characters must come to terms with this truth, in themselves and in others. Belfer exempts no one, and in so doing creates a believable story and recreates a forgotten time in our history." - Shelf Awareness "A FIERCE RADIANCE mixes fact, fiction, romance, murder, and debates about who should profit from scientific innovation to create a capacious, sometimes melodramatic but always absorbing tale. . . . These are just a few of the questions framed in Belfer''s artful composition, which captures the fragility and anxiety of life in wartime New York in crisply developed shades of black, white, and gray." - Barnes and Noble Review "A FIERCE RADIANCE shines with fascinating detail about a moment in American history we have mostly forgotten, when penicillin was new, miraculous, and in short supply. Belfer''s powerful portrayal of how people are changed in pursuit of a miracle makes this book an especially compelling read." - Nancy Horan, author of Loving Frank "Penicillin operates as the source of romance, murder, and melodrama in Belfer''s evocative WWII-era novel. . . . Belfer handily exploits Claire''s photo shoots to add historical texture to the book, and the well-researched scenes bring war-time New York City to life, capturing the anxiety-ridden period." - Publishers Weekly

Please Wait