THE BOOK Read about a young man, son of a Russian Jewish Immigrant, his coming of age, his struggle through Military School, his success in Medical School, and his training for five years to become a surgeon. Jacob's Ladder is a work of fiction-historical fiction. Although the storyline parallels incidents that occurred in five generations of my family, the characters do not exist in real life. Jacob M. Stein's name will not be found in the archives of the Virginia Military Institute nor is it listed among the graduates from The Chicago Medical School in 1958. There is no record of Dr. Stein ever training at the Boston City Hospital, and Military Records will not reveal that Lieutenant Stein ever served in the Army in Korea.
Places are real.
The Barracks at the Virginia Military Institute is a registered National Historic Landmark and stands today as described. The Biology Building is named the Robert P. Carroll Building, although graduates of the class of 1953 may see a striking similarity between Doc Carroll and Doc Charles. The Chicago Medical School is now known as the Herman Finch University of Health Sciences and has been moved from the west side of Chicago to Waukegan, Illinois. The Boston City Hospital merged with the University Hospital to become the Boston Medical Center. The Dowling Building is the last survivor of a gone-by era.