Layers of the Heart: A Daughter's Memoir of a Trailblazing Pediatric Cardiologist

What does it mean to truly understand a parent, especially one the world admired but you never fully knew?In Layers of the Heart, Catherine O’Riordan tells the story of her mother, Dr. Anna Connor O’Riordan, a pioneering pediatric cardiologist who built a career in medicine when few women were allowed in and raised six children along the way.To her patients and colleagues, she was brilliant, composed, and deeply compassionate. At home, she was driven, distant, and often difficult to reach.After her mother’s death, O’Riordan set out to understand her life and discovered a story far more complex than she had ever known.This memoir explores:– The hidden cost of ambition– The early barriers faced by women in medicine– The complexity of mother–daughter relationships– How we come to understand the people who shaped usAs we continue to reflect on the role of women in medicine and science, this story offers a deeply personal perspective on what those paths have required and what they leave behind. Read more