Those who are immigrants or children of immigrants will find a lot that is familiar in Katalin Kariko’s story. Many of the biographical details will be familiar to those who read the profiles of Kariko after the development and success of the COVID vaccine, and there are not many new insights here. The memoir is told in a simple straightforward way that feels true to the scientist’s voice, without embellishment or significant editorializing.

The most compelling parts to me were those brief moments where she does reflect more on her roles as a mother and a scientist, and hints at how she envisions society could better support the expression of both roles. Reading this at the same time as Matrescence really highlighted the importance of recognizing and supporting caregiving as labor that is meaningful both in and of itself, and in its role supporting other meaningful labor (such as science).