James FitzGerald On "What Disturbs Our Blood"
James FitzGerald was born into one of Canada's most important families. His grandfather John is a titan of public health in Toronto's history, credited with saving many lives with vaccines he developed. James' father, Jack, was a pioneer in the field of allergies. But both of their names were swept under the rug of Canadian history.
It was only in recent years that James uncovered deeply buried family secrets and learned about his father and grandfather's difficult life journeys. In his book "What Disturbs Our Blood," FitzGerald investigates the suicide of his grandfather, its effect on his father, and himself. James FitzGerald talked with the CBC's Sook Yin Lee about why he felt he had to write a book about his father and grandfather in order to redeem his family name.