Book Description

Reviews:Our family came upon this book by more than co-incidence, just at a time when we needed it most. We had been reading a novel in the 'Stories from South Africa' series, by the same author, entitled,'With no remorse' and were intrigued to see a note at the end of it, to the effect that the 'ongoing, non-fiction story' of two of the characters could be found in 'The Bronze Killer'. - What an eye-opener! Not only was the book well-written and utterly absorbing; it provided us with information which has led to the diagnosis of several members of our family. We are so grateful! Also recommended: Enjoyed all the author's other titles, especially 'With no remorse' and 'Storm Water.' ***A very helpful book for medics or those looking for answers. The Bronze Killer was a book that came into my life at a very desperate time - I had just been diagnosed with Haemochromatosis and found that the doctors that I knew were not apparently very knowledgeable about it. I felt very uneasy and very alone, despite thankfully having a very supportive wife. Not only was Marie Warder, with her honesty and knowledge, able to bring a better understanding to me through the book, about this sleeping ogre of an illness, it also allowed others around me to realise that I really was not full of imaginings or laziness - that it was all because of the Genetic Iron Overload doing its damage. ***I believe The Bronze Killer would be a worthwhile read for any student doctor coming into the field and certainly for those people with the disorder and their family and friends. It most certainly wouldn't do anyone-else any harm either, for the book is not just a story of discovery; it is also a very touching and honest account of a great woman's battle against so many ordeals, not of course just in the name of seeking a cause but of doing it all for the love of man whom she had known for a long time. For someone like myself with the illness, I will not forget the speed with which I read the book and I'm sure it will be appreciated by many for having it to turn to - either as an educational aid or certainly as it was for me - an emotional sustenance that got me through some very vague and bewildering days. I just needed to hear more than "You've got a disorder called Haemochromatosis." Having The Bronze Killer to turn to was a great comfort, despite its sadness. Marie Warder deserves many accolades and I hope that others will recognize that soon. ***Every member of my family has a copy! Having just re-read this book for the umpteenth time, I happened to click onto the preceding review. Because there is such a very high incidence of this disorder in our family, we try to keep abreast of current research etc. and were delighted when the World Health Organization called a meeting on "The Prevention and Control of Hemochromatosis" as we really believed that this would result in greater awareness. Apparently not even that - nor the fact that the Centres for Disease Control have declared it to be the most common genetic disease - has caught the attention of the media. Perhaps this is why the previous reader does not know about HH. A doctor at the Mayo Clinic says it has reached epidemic proportions and those of us who have been helped by reading "The Bronze Killer" when even our own family doctors were really in the dark, sympathize with the writer - while commending her for her ceaseless efforts to attain timely diagnosis for those at risk. "I can only say "thank you" to this lady for baring her heart and telling her story so that others might not have to suffer in a similar manner. Baruch Levy from Cape Town, SA