The Blighted Son

by Peter Harris

A white supremacist neo-Nazi. A lifesaving heart transplant. A journey of self-discovery.

Invited to witness a lifesaving heart transplant operation, journalist Edwin Benn is thrilled to be in on the action.

But when it comes to interviewing the fortunate recipient, Edwin finds himself questioning whether the man was worth saving. A white supremacist neo-Nazi with a track record of hate crimes, James Fisher is anything but pleasant to be around, and is furious when he discovers the identity of his heart donor, going to absurd lengths to ‘make it his own’ by having a swastika tattooed on his chest.

Appalled by the man’s behaviour, Edwin struggles to write his article without mentioning that racist Fisher did not deserve his donor heart.

But as Edwin continues to follow Fisher’s recovery, he discovers that the man he first interviewed has changed dramatically, and as he continues to report on the story, he becomes increasingly involved in helping him reconnect with his long-forgotten past.

PRAISE FOR THE BLIGHTED SON

'A brilliant concept.' - Dame Maureen Lipman, actress and columnist

‘A great read that provokes the reader to consider possible ramifications of modern medicine.’ - Joel Alpert Project Coordinator, Yizkor Book Project, New York, USA

‘Most enjoyable.’ - Tony Blase, Greater Manchester and Wales historian

‘…well-written and the plot keeps one wondering ‘what next?’.' - Colin Campbell, retired cardiothoracic surgeon, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester

'A heartwarming story of redemption.' - Ian Williamson, Campbell Crossley and Davis

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2024

About the author

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Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first received this book, I looked at the cover and saw a picture of a heart and in bold letters. A white supremacist Neo Nazi and I thought this book was going to be a hard-hitting storyline with a lot of hate and hard to read violence, I couldn't have been more wrong.

This story does, in fact, feature a Neo Nazi, and he was an evil, twisted character who hated anyone who wasn't white, a person who would smash Grave stones of Jews
That was until he was given a heart transplant, and things started to change. Edwin Benn is the journalist who was present at the heart transplant and ready to write a story on the miracle, which is modern medicine. James Karl Fisher was the patient, and what he didn't know was that his life was about to radically change, and Edwin was going to get a lot more stories than he realised.

This was a heartwarming book, which was a pleasure to read. I kept wondering what would happen next and where would James Life would end up, and I was surprised along the way.

[Claire Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first part of this book is hard to read due to the topics discussed, but as the story went on, I really enjoyed it. There were parts where this book read as if I were watching a documentary, and some of the facts went over my head, but the gist of the story itself was really quite wholesome. The transplant changing his personality was very interestng to me as I had a kidney transplant myself and have noticed changes in tastes (e.g I used to love tea now I only drink coffee, and I used to be able to eat spicy things but now I can't) so it was very cool to read about Jim's changes. I also found the Jewish facts about their customs and religion interesting too and I really liked how Edwin became friends with Jim in the end.

I'd like to thank Cranthorpe Millner for the opportunity to share my thoughts on this upcoming book. I'm really grateful.

[Off Service Book Recs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Peter Harris for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

"The Blighted Son" is a short but intriguing story that follows the path of a Neo-Nazi who receives a transplant from a Jewish man and the newspaper reporter tasked with following his progress. What the reporter expects will be a short course medical interest piece turns into much more as Jim, the transplant recipient, begins to experience unexpected changes as his new heart beats within him.

Overall, I thought this was a good presentation of a well-documented medical mystery (I won't say too much more as I want to avoid spoilers). I had a good time reading the story - the writing and the matter-of-fact presentation style reminded me a bit of watching BBC shows on PBS, and I think anyone who likes that kind of vibe would enjoy this story. If you are looking for a heavier emphasis on the medical aspects of transplant surgery or transplant medicine, you will not find that here.

I gave three stars for this review, but would probably reasonably round up to 3.5 - I thought (actually, much like a British show compared to maybe an American one), that there was not a lot of heart-stopping (pun intended) drama or intrigue here and no monumental reveals or moments of excitement. This was not necessarily a bad thing, but I think if you're expecting a fast-paced story with emotion-ridden twists and turns, this story will not be for you.

"The Blighted Son" is unpretentious (maybe even to the point of being a bit on the nose to the point of being a little bit like a school essay with its descriptions sometimes), narrative fiction of life after transplant surgery, and will probably be enjoyed by those who like things plainly stated and presented, like afternoon tea and an unadorned digestive biscuit.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3 out of 5]

When surgeons at Roundthorn Hospital in Manchester, England transplant a heart into 52-yr old anti-Semite James Karl Fisher's chest cavity, they don't know his Nazi tendencies. Also at the time nobody knew that the lifesaving organ had come from an Orthodox Jewish donor named Marcus Lieberman. One might assume that highjinks would ensue. But because The Blighted Son is told from the point of view of medical journalist Edwin Benn, it is an involved chronicling of events told in a straightforward, factual, informational way, perhaps like long-form journalism.

The plot and characters are interesting, if somewhat flat in the telling, but I absolutely love that the basis of the story is a bizarre yet documented medical phenomenon. I was a little dubious at times - that somebody who had just recovered from the most major cardiac surgery there is, had simultaneously undergone whole body tattoo removal; or that a leader of gymrat skinheads would have the financial freedom to sell his business and travel so extensively, but maybe that's me stereotyping. At times Edwin Benn seemed Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock-type callous, for example when told someone's husband had just died 18 months ago, responding "Why do you think that is - I mean since your husband died?" I would have liked to have seen more of that kind of character trait defined. I did appreciate the detailed descriptions of the many cities visited in the Blighted Son, a bittersweet redemption story.