Lisa Genova’s Love Anthony is different from Still Alice and Inside the O’Briens because the story starts at the end of a neurological illness not the beginning. Anthony was an autistic young boy who passed away two years prior to the events of the novel. His mother, Olivia, spent all of her energy on him and his needs; her life subsequently crumbles after his passing, she divorces her husband and moves to their Nantucket beach home. Beth is a middle-aged stay-at-home mom who discovers her […]
I bet Lisa Genova’s a lot of fun at parties
While Genova’s Still Alice stars Alzheimer’s disease, Inside the O’Briens gives the reader an intimate view of what Huntington’s Disease does to a body — and a family. It’s a sad book — while Huntington’s affects only a fraction of the number of people affected by Alzheimer’s, it’s still a wretched disease and one that’s not particularly well-known or understood. I’ve heard of it, but I also watch a lot of medical dramas. Huntington’s is also 1000% fatal, usually within about 10 years of diagnosis. “As they lurch […]
Well-written and sad
Oh, this was a rough book. It’s good, really really good, but difficult to read because you’re basically in the mind of a highly intelligent woman as she begins to slowly lose that mind. She’s aware of everything most of the time, and can’t do anything to stop it. It’s also scary to consider that this could happen not only to you, but to your loved ones as well. I spent a lot of time reading this and thinking, what if? “Her ability to use […]
Legitimate Family Drama
I read and reviewed Still Alice late last year, so a few days back Goodreads notified me that Ms. Genova had a new novel coming out this month. Inside the O’Briens tells the story of the O’Brien family and how they deal with the patriarch’s diagnosis with Huntington’s Disease. The book is primarily told from patriarch Joe’s perspective, a forty-something police officer in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. He starts to develop symptoms and gets tested, not realizing that his mother had died of the […]