Recombinations

by Perri Klass

Anne Montgomery performs genetic research in a private laboratory in Manhattan and struggles to sort out her complicated personal relationships

Genres: Fiction

285 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Perri Klass is a pediatrician who writes fiction and non-fiction. She writes about children and families, about medicine, about food and travel, and about knitting. Her newest book is a novel, The Mercy Rule, and the book before that was a work of non-fiction, Treatment Kind and Fair: Letters to a Young Doctor, written in the form of letters to her older son as he starts medical school.
She lives in New York City, where she is Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics at New York University, and she has three children of her own. She is also Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, a national literacy organization which works through doctors and nurses to promote parents reading aloud to young children.
source: www.perriklass.com

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
While billed as a science-y tale in the blurbs, this 1985 book is mostly about relationships between twenty-somethings as they pair up or break up. The main character is a PhD scientist and she muses a bit about her work at the early era of recombinant DNA research, but nothing too intense. She likes her science, is good but not great, and many musings are about the company politics. More time is spent on her romantic/life and her attraction for a lab tech with "a 29 inch waist". I found it a quick read and a bit of fun.

[Kelly K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite novels. If it came out now, it would probably be called "chick lit" but it's better than most young women's contemporary fiction. Klass has a strong voice, a perceiving eye, and a sense for real life that makes this novel a pleasure to read. And anyone who's ever had an office crush and idly speculated about what "could" happen ... you'll enjoy it.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable story about scientists pursuing their research and each other.

[Danusia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Medical thriller. Interesting but not great.