The riveting true story of Canada’s Nobel Prize-winning discovery of insulin
“Insulin’s miracle was more than a matter of better blood tests. As in Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, it actually put flesh on living skeletons…What insulin did was turn a brief, deadly illness into a long, chronic struggle, and both the [New York Historical Society] exhibit and the book, Breakthrough, by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg, on which it is based highlight the complicated questions that inevitably follow medical miracles: Who will get the drug first? Who will pay for it? Who will make enough for everyone? And, of course, who will reward its developers as they feel they deserve?” – New York Times
Breakthrough is the fascinating story of Elizabeth Hughes, a young girl on the brink of death who was saved by one of the earliest insulin injections. It is a story of triumph and heartbreak, personal struggle, scientific jealousy, intense business conflict and even fist fights, in a race against time and a ravaging disease. It is a remarkable Canadian story and the story of a medical miracle.
In recognition of Diabetes Awareness Month, Penguin will donate $1 for every book sold* during the month of November to the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Please encourage your friends and family to buy the book in support of this campaign and attend this free public event.
Donnelly Centre - 160 College Street West, Toronto
Monday, November 15
6 pm
Sponsored by Penguin and Eli Lilly Canada, the evening will feature a presentation by Arthur Ainsberg, followed by the North American premiere of Academy Award® nominee Edward Lachman’s documentary film “Lifeblood”, which tells the moving stories of four individuals with type 1 diabetes and the 82-year-old nun who has dedicated herself to their care amid the civil and political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Books can be purchased at the event, at your local bookstore, or online at indigo.ca and amazon.ca. It is our hope that this heart-warming story will find its way into the homes of thousands of Canadians over the holiday season, inspiring them to respond to current and future needs by understanding the past.
For further information about the event, or to read an excerpt from the book, visit www.penguin.ca/breakthrough.
*Based on sales of Breakthrough as reported by Booknet Canada