From butcher's daughter in Communist Hungary to winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2023
this is the story of one woman's extraordinary determination through decades of obscurity and
rejection - and her breakthrough discovery that saved millions of lives. 'Riveting. A true
story of a brilliant biochemist who never gave up or gave in' BONNIE GARMUS author of Lessons
in Chemistry 'Anyone who has ever doubted that science innovation and persistence can
change the world should read this book' BILL GATES Katalin Karikó began life as a butcher's
daughter in post-war Communist Hungary: a hand-to-mouth existence in a single-room house of
clay and straw with no running water. Breaking Through is her extraordinary memoir of how she
achieved her dream of becoming a scientist first in Hungary and then in the USA and pursued
her belief - despite so many telling her not to - that an elusive molecule could transform our
ability to prevent disease. For three decades she worked in obscurity battling cockroaches in
a windowless lab enduring demotion the derision of her colleagues even threats of
deportation. But in 2020 Karikó's vision was spectacularly vindicated when her work made
possible the mRNA vaccines that brought an end to the pandemic paving the way for similar
vaccines against cancer HIV malaria and other life-threatening diseases. As frank wise and
fearless as Karikó herself Breaking Through is a remarkable story of tenacity friendship and
loyalty and one woman's unshakeable commitment to her values. 'Few have overcome adversity
like Katalin Karikó . . . This remarkable memoir . . . is a joy to read' Financial Times *An
Amazon Best Book of the Year* *One of Nature 's five best science books for 2024* *A Financial
Times Best Summer Book of 2024*
