Beauty and the Beast may be a fairy tale, but for one woman its moral rings true in real life. When Alix Miller goes to New Hampshire to paint a portrait of Leland Crompton, she is following family tradition- Miller artists have always painted the Crompton aristocrats. But the reclusive Leland is hideously disfigured by a rare genetic disease, and Alix is uncomfortable rendering him on canvas. She begins the task anyway, and through her...

"A leading geneticist explores what promises to be one of the most transformative advances in health and medicine in history. Almost every week, another exciting headline appears about new advances in the field of genetics. Genetic testing is experiencing the exponential growth once seen with the Internet, and the plummeting cost of DNA sequencing makes it increasingly accessible for individuals and families. Dr. Steven M. Lipkin suggests that today's...

When a rare genetic disorder steals away her memories and then her health, teenaged Sammie records notes in a journal to her future self, documenting moments great and small.

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now. Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and...

On paper, Coach Rob Mendez sounds like any other football coach on any other field across America: passionate, authoritative, knowledgeable. But he’s unlike any other coach you know--in fact, he’s probably unlike any other person you know. Born with an extraordinarily rare condition called tetra-Amelia syndrome, Rob has no arms or legs. He moves with the assistance of a custom-made, motorized wheelchair that he operates with his back and shoulders. Many...

Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler, cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry's travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with...

"Praised by RJ Palacio as "wondrous"--this moving memoir follows a teenage boy with TC syndrome and his exceptional family from diagnosis at birth to now. "This touching memoir is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about the real world experiences of a child with craniofacial differences and his extraordinary family. It's also more than that. It's a story about the love between a mother and a son, a child and his family, and the breadth...