Books and More Books
These days I struggle to even out my "TBR" and my "TBRV" list. I know that you have probably heard me mention this a few times. Last week I gave myself a stern lecture and made myself sit down and write out a certain number of reviews. I had reached my goal and even added a couple more.
I was so proud of myself that I gave me a pat on the back & celebrated with a couple of squares of Lindt's dark chocolate with chili. It's an interesting flavor and hits both the heat & sweet spots.
Now it's time to set another goal and see if I can hit that one too. My goal is eight reviews by weeks end. I hope that you will find that are interesting to you too among them.
Here we go!
Author: Lisa Genova
Genre: Women's Fiction, Literature/Fiction (Adult)
Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books
Description:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice Lisa Genova comes a powerful and transcendent new novel about a family struggling with the impact of Huntington’s disease.
Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease.
Huntington’s is a lethal neuro-degenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. Does she want to know? What if she’s gene positive? Can she live with the constant anxiety of not knowing?
As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate.
Praised for writing that “explores the resilience of the human spirit” (The San Francisco Chronicle), Lisa Genova has once again delivered a novel as powerful and unforgettable as the human insights at its core.
Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease.
Huntington’s is a lethal neuro-degenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. Does she want to know? What if she’s gene positive? Can she live with the constant anxiety of not knowing?
As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate.
Praised for writing that “explores the resilience of the human spirit” (The San Francisco Chronicle), Lisa Genova has once again delivered a novel as powerful and unforgettable as the human insights at its core.
This was a hard book to read because of the subject matter. It brought out several emotions as you read how this disease develops. Not only for the patriarchal of the family, Joe - the Irish Boston Police Officer; but also his wife and all four of their grown adult children.
The progression that this family faces is remarkable in a painful sort of way. I had times that the regular outsiders were at times cruel and unforgiven. The fact that Joe had tee shirts made that put a face on the disease actually made sense to me. That was insightful of the author, as we in general; are quick to make judgements of those around us without knowing the whole story.
You could tell the Lisa spent a lot of time doing the research for the book as a specialist. I think it's was complex, thoughtful and informatively. I learned much even though it is a work of fiction. She was able to find a portal that allows for a candor subject that most people don't anything about. I know I didn't. It was just something that I heard of in the news when a celebrity was diagnosed with Huntington's. This book put more of a "realistic" spin or face on it. The book had me thinking long after I turned the last page.
Over all I would give this book that a 5 out of 5stars for the subject and how well the author brought the facts to me in a forum that I was able to understand.
Please note that I received this ARC from NetGallery in exchange for my honest opinion and has no bearing on the making of this book.
And so this begins my the count down. Be sure to watch out for more this week. This wraps up another issue of "A Simple Word."
Read On My Fellow Bibliophiles,
Tricia
