The Measure

Recommended by David Avigan, Cancer Center Director, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, BILH Chief, Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, The Theodore W. and Evelyn G. Berenson Chair of Medicine at Harvard Medical School

“The Measure” by Nikki Erlick describes a world in which people’s life expectancy becomes known to them through the delivery of strings of different lengths to their home. The novel imagines the impact of this sudden revelation on relationships, faith, community, and politics. It probes foundational aspects of how people express generosity and purpose in a setting where an aspect of the future is known. It also quickly divides the world into tribes of “haves” and “have nots.” I found the book stayed with me for examining how we relate to these basic existential dilemmas, and what it means to ground yourself in community and giving in a world of uncertainty.