I hadn't known until then that my condition could be thought costly if it meant men of science must confess their limitations.

This book, whew! Bethany C. Morrow brilliantly weaves the story of Dolores Extract No. 1 (aka Elsie) together with questions of humanity and how our memories and traumas make us the people that we are. Elsie's existence and her persistence and capability for growth causes people in this early 20th century setting to question what makes one memory different or more powerful than another. The story is so beautifully written, and gently takes us through these huge questions, in a way that I've not seen an author do before. Everyone should read this one. So so good.