A Perfect Life

A research biologist hunts for a genetic disease marker that could hold the key to her fate—and those of two people she loves: “Absorbing.” —Publishers Weekly

A young researcher at MIT, Jane Weiss is obsessed with finding the genetic marker for Valentine’s Disease, a neurodegenerative disorder. Her pursuit is deeply personal—Valentine’s killed her mother, and she and her freewheeling sister, Laurel, could be genetic carriers; each has a fifty percent chance of developing the disease. Having seen firsthand the devastating effect Valentine’s had on her parents’ marriage, Jane is terrified she might become a burden on whomever she falls in love with and so steers clear of romantic entanglement. Then, the summer before her father’s second wedding, Jane falls hard for her future stepbrother, Willie. But Willie’s father also died from Valentine’s, raising the odds that their love will end in tragedy.

When Willie bolts at a crucial moment in their relationship, Jane becomes obsessed with finding the genetic marker to the disease that threatens both their families. But if she succeeds in making history, will she and her sister have the courage to face what this newfound knowledge could mean for their lives? A Perfect Life is a thought-provoking, emotionally resonant novel of scientific discovery and self-discovery, about learning how to embrace life and love, no matter what may come.

“Highly compelling . . . Pollack’s pacing is dramatic and the story line particularly gripping.” —Paula McLain, New York Times–bestselling author of The Paris Wife 

“[An] absorbing genetic mystery that is couched in a complicated love story and a tale of survival . . . gritty romance and medical suspense.” —Publishers Weekly

“As smart and thought-provoking as it is moving.” —Celeste Ng, New York Times–bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere