Truman listened in his polite, attentive manner, tall frame slightly stooped, but he would admit later that he did not give Anne’s question any serious consideration. He’d learned over the years that parents of children with leukemia tended to develop a heightened awareness of the illness. Everywhere they turned it seemed they encountered a reference to it, or someone else whose child had it. To Truman, this was not an uncommon psychological phenomenon. Many years later, in a deposition, Truman recalled his reaction to Anne’s queries: “My response was that on the basis of the number of children with leukemia that I was aware of at the time, and considering the population of the city of Woburn, I did not think the incidence of leukemia appeared to be increased. In essence, I dismissed her suggestion.”

Jonathan Harr, A Civil Action, loc. 57