REVIEW: Inside the O’Briens

Fiction by Lisa Genova

I recently read the new book by Lisa Genova, called Inside the O’Briens.  I loved her first book, Still Alice, as well.  Genova is a neuroscientist, and although she writes fiction, her books explore various neurological issues, and it’s obvious that she knows what she’s talking about. Still Alice is the story of a woman who begins to show signs of early onset Alzheimer’s, and the story follows the progression of the illness in all its terrifying reality.  It has recently been made into a movie.

Inside the O’Briens is not a happy story, either, that’s for sure, but it’s an important story to tell, about a family that has to deal with Huntington’s Disease.  You will learn a lot from this book, and feel intensely grateful not to be in this family’s shoes (unless of course you are dealing with Huntington’s, in which case you might or might not want to read this book).  Huntington’s is an unusually cruel disease to have, as you may very well have children already by the time you’re diagnosed — at which time you find out that each of your children has a 50 percent chance of having the disease, too.  Those children, as adults, can take a test to find out if they too will end up with Huntington’s, but sometimes it’s difficult to decide whether you’re better off knowing ahead of time, or not.  Genova is an excellent writer, and I was caught up in the story from the first pages.  If it sounds interesting to you, check it out.

— Lua M. Wells, Mount Pleasant Regional Library, Mount Pleasant, S.C.

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