It is about the world's most common genetic disorder which causes the body to accumulate and store lethal amounts of iron that destory vital organs and this book has been described by patients as the "definitive" book on the subject.
The author's husband had been ill for eight years and was close to death by the time he was diagnosed, and when their daughter was diagnosed, she realized that she knew things about the deadly disease that she had to share. She had proof that much of what was then known about Hemochromatosis was incorrect. She had proof of its being hereditary, that young people could develop it, that women were also at risk, and she knew that it was not rare. To make this known became an awful responsibility – and that was when she was moved to write this very informative book, which was cited in a Medal of Honour awarded to her in Canada.