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A powerful memoir from Katalin Karikó, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, whose decades-long research led to the COVID-19 vaccines
“Katalin Karikó’s story is an inspiration.”—Bill Gates
“Riveting . . . a true story of a brilliant biochemist who never gave up or gave in.”—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry
A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Katalin Karikó has had an unlikely journey. The daughter of a butcher in postwar communist Hungary, Karikó grew up in an adobe home that lacked running water, and her family grew their own vegetables. She saw the wonders of nature all around her and was determined to become a scientist. That determination eventually brought her to the United States, where she arrived as a postdoctoral fellow in 1985 with $1,200 sewn into her toddler’s teddy bear and a dream to remake medicine.
Karikó worked in obscurity, battled cockroaches in a windowless lab, and faced outright derision and even deportation threats from her bosses and colleagues. She balked as prestigious research institutions increasingly conflated science and money. Despite setbacks, she never wavered in her belief that an ephemeral and underappreciated molecule called messenger RNA could change the world. Karikó believed that someday mRNA would transform ordinary cells into tiny factories capable of producing their own medicines on demand. She sacrificed nearly everything for this dream, but the obstacles she faced only motivated her, and eventually she succeeded.
Karikó’s three-decade-long investigation into mRNA would lead to a staggering achievement: vaccines that protected millions of people from the most dire consequences of COVID-19. These vaccines are just the beginning of mRNA’s potential. Today, the medical community eagerly awaits more mRNA vaccines—for the flu, HIV, and other emerging infectious diseases.
Breaking Through isn’t just the story of an extraordinary woman. It’s an indictment of closed-minded thinking and a testament to one woman’s commitment to laboring intensely in obscurity—knowing she might never be recognized in a culture that is driven by prestige, power, and privilege—because she believed her work would save lives.
An Instant New York Times Bestseller
“A knockout collection. … Sharp-edged satire deceptively wrapped like a box of Neuhaus chocolates, Table for Two is a winner.” —The New York Times
“Superb … This may be Towles’ best book yet. Each tale is as satisfying as a master chef’s main course, filled with drama, wit, erudition and, most of all, heart.” —Los Angeles Times
Millions of Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.
The New York stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, consider the fateful consequences that can spring from brief encounters and the delicate mechanics of compromise that operate at the heart of modern marriages.
In Towles’s novel Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September 1938 with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets, bungalows, and dive bars of Los Angeles.
Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting fiction.
Your host, Doug Bora and Jan Selkowitz
The golf committee is happy to announce our third golf event which will be held on Sep 24, 2024 at the Country Club of Darien.
Tee times will begin at 8:30 (TO BE CONFIRMED), followed by an optional lunch.
Thanks to Tom Lom, who has sponsored the event, we have the opportunity to play on one of the most beautiful courses in Fairfield County.
The format will be three non CCD members playing with a CCD member.
As always the committee will take entrees on a first come basis.
The fees will be $115 Greens fee for non-CCD members, $47 Cart fee.
If you want to play on this special course on August 20, please e-mail Cliff van Voorhees: civanv@gmail.com.
PLEASE TELL HIM IF YOU ARE A CCD MEMBER OR NOT.
Your golf committee again thanks Tom Lom for making this great outing possible!
Bob McGroarty, Jerry Crowley, Cliff van Voothee
Robert (Bob) Johnson
1938-2024
Robert (Bob) Johnson passed away peacefully at home, on July 6th, from consequences related to leukemia. He was born March 1, 1938 in Rochester, NY to Grace and Jasper Johnson, and grew up with his three brothers and two sisters.
The family moved to Needham, MA when he was twelve years old, where he attended the public schools and was Captain of the high school football and basketball teams, and President of his class. He attended Williams College, playing football, and later transferred to the University of Michigan, where he graduated with a degree in Economics.
Growing up, Bob’s family summered on Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, where he met the love of his life, Barbie Grad, daughter of Gladys and Linden Grad of Meredith, NH. It was there that Bob captured Barbie’s attention as a member of the water ski team. They were married for 60 years, and have resided in Darien, CT, for 45 of those years, raising their two children and participating in the community in myriad ways.
After college, Bob enrolled in Officer’s Candidate School, joining the US Marine Corps in 1961. Upon being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, he entered the flight training program and became a Naval Aviator, stationed in Southern California. He served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot and accomplished over 300 missions there. After completion of his active military duties, he joined The Reserves, where he continued to fly helicopters and relished the camaraderie of his fellow officers. At this time, he was hired by TWA, with whom he flew 727’s to 747’s for over thirty years. As an airline Captain, he flew all over the world, mostly international flights out of JFK. Sharing travel with his family was among his greatest joys, and Bob loved more than anything to take his family to see the many beautiful and cultural sites throughout Europe.
After retiring from TWA, Bob found great happiness in his two passions of boating and oil painting. From Captain in the air to Captain at sea, he excelled at navigating the waters of Long Island Sound in his boat, Bellwether, where many happy memories with family were created. It was his rekindled love of painting, however, that really animated his later years. He joined the Silvermine Guild, where he honed his skills, and participated in many local art exhibitions. His home studio produced numerous landscape paintings that are treasured by friends and family.
A true gentleman, Bob will be remembered for his unflagging integrity, his kind smile, and devotion to family.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; his siblings, Christel, Peter and Don, daughter, Amy and her husband Devin, and his two beloved granddaughters, Avery and Ingrid. He was preceded in death by his son, Eric Robert Johnson.
There will be no service, and burial will be in New Hampshire at a later date.
Darien Community Association
Located on nearly eight acres in the heart of town, the Darien Community Association is a privately-funded nonprofit organization. Since its founding in 1923, the association has made a positive impact on our community through offering educational and cultural opportunities, connection, sustainability and public green spaces. The DCA is an award-winning event venue for corporate events and weddings. Its members, partners, neighbors and over 100 volunteers give back to our community, participate in special programs and make a lasting impact through volunteer opportunities and scholarships to Darien High School students.
Erin Noonan
In announcing Erin’s appointment last August as executive director of the DCA, the board described Erin as a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in the development of business and brand strategies, digital and communication plans, and integrated campaigns for some of the world’s most recognized and most well-loved brands. Those brands included Nike, ESPN, American Express and Pepsi. She has brought her vision and experience to bear on revitalizing the DCA for a new era.A long-time resident of Darien, Erin has been a tireless community volunteer, serving with local organizations including k Person to Person, OPUS, the Ox Ridge PTO, the RTM, and her local church preschool.
Summary: Erin Noonan on the history of the Darien Community Association
Erin Noonan, Executive Director of the Darien Community Association (DCA), offered an engaging and heartfelt presentation chronicling the DCA’s 100+ year history—and its evolving role as a cornerstone of community life in Darien.
The presentation marked the final DMA speaker of the season, capping a year of close collaboration between the two organizations. With 90 of DMA members now also members of the DCA, both groups underscored the deepening ties and mutual reinforcement of missions: fostering service, connection, and civic participation in Darien.
A Century of Service
Noonan opened her remarks with a stroll through a 2002 presentation originally created for the DMA, tracing DCA’s origins to 1923 as the Darien Improvement Association (DIA). Initially focused on beautifying public highways and organizing community Christmas trees, the group’s civic ambitions quickly expanded.
Through the decades, the DCA initiated numerous town firsts:
- Opened the thrift shop in 1931 during the Great Depression
- Launched the first story times at the library
- Helped form the Darien Land Trust, the Depot youth center, and Weed Beach improvements
- Sponsored milk programs, bridge lessons, health clinics, and vocational guidance
- Pioneered local audiobooks for the blind in the 1960s
- Built community gathering spaces, including the Garden Wing in 1966
In 1949, the DCA acquired the historic Meadowlands estate, which still serves as its headquarters.
Present-Day Impact
Now nearly two years into her tenure, Noonan has helped revitalize the DCA through expanded programs, strategic planning, and a complete renovation of the Meadowlands building—transformed into a showhouse thanks to local designers and a media partnership with Connecticut Cottages & Gardens.
The DCA currently hosts over 90 annual events, drawing more than 3,000 attendees and offering a wide array of programs—from Mardi Gras brunches to bee sanctuary demos. A key partner in town life, the DCA receives no funding from the Town or State, relying instead on:
- Thrift shop sales
- Membership dues
- Event tickets
- Private rentals
- Donations to its annual appeal
Scholarships & Sustainability
One of the DCA’s proudest contributions is its scholarship program, which has awarded more than $2 million to over 1,400 students. In 2024 alone, the organization gave $75,000 to 39 recipients, including both graduating seniors and returning college students.
That effort is funded through donations from local businesses like Palmer’s and Ring’s End, and is administered by DCA volunteers—an operation described as “tedious but deeply rewarding.”
The thrift shop remains a major pillar of revenue and community engagement. Stocked by both passive (resident drop-offs) and active (estate sale sourcing) donations, it thrives thanks to a devoted team of 50+ volunteers. Women’s clothing, housewares, and small tech gadgets are top sellers. Paperbacks? Not so much.
Volunteerism & Membership Growth
Volunteers are, in Noonan’s words, the DCA’s “lifeblood.” Recruiting them remains a challenge in an era of dual-working-parent households, but once engaged, retention is high. Many find their way into volunteerism through events or thrift shop work and stay for the camaraderie and purpose.
That sense of connection has helped membership soar—doubling in one year and growing another 20% in the next. Noonan credited strategic storytelling, community partnerships, and visible impact for attracting new families and reengaging past members.
“Choose Community”
Noonan concluded with a quote from former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy: “Choose community.” Her message: in an age of disconnection, the DCA offers not just a place—but a purpose—for coming together.
“This is your building,” Noonan told the audience. “You’ve helped shape its history. And we’re inviting you to shape its future.”