The Dressmaker's Mirror: Sudden Death, Genetics, and a Jewish Family's Secret

In 2008, in the wake of her 36-year-old pregnant niece's sudden collapse and death, author/geneticist Susan Liebman embarked on an urgent search for answers. The tragedy echoed another sudden death from a century earlier — that of her 4-year-old uncle whose parents said a heavy dressmaker's mirror had fallen on him. Had it really? Her hunt culminates in the discovery of a previously unknown heart disease gene and an Ashkenazi Jewish mutation within it.

Woven throughout is Liebman's own story — how she forged a career in genetics when few women did, and how personal tragedy led to a public health mission. Liebman offers a compelling call to action, guiding readers of all ethnicities how to use the frequently overlooked tool of genetic testing to safeguard their families' health and save lives.