Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Review: Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova

Title: Inside the O'Briens
Author: Lisa Genova
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date: 7th April 2015
Pages: 352
Book Source: Simon & Schuster AU

Synopsis: 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 neurodegenerative 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.

My Thoughts:
I thought Still Alice was brilliant, it affected me deeply and when I saw Inside the O'Brien's was about Huntington's Disease I had to read it. 

Towards the end of my nursing training, a friend and housemate faced the nightmare of Huntington's Disease when her father was diagnosed. She was one of ten children. I lost touch with her when she moved away physically and emotionally but her family has often been in my thoughts and over the years as I've belatedly come across funeral notices for her father and 3 siblings my heart aches that I didn't try harder.   

Once again Lisa Genova writes what she knows with great heart. I'd almost say head and heart is trademark Lisa Genova. And maybe I'd add in humour and hope because despite the evil bastard that is Huntington's Disease, Genova's message in this fatal hereditary neurodegenerative disease is ultimately one of hope. 

The O'Brien's are an Irish Catholic family in Boston. 44 year old police officer Joe, his wife Rosie and their four adult children, Patrick, JJ, Meghan, and Katie. Inside the O'Briens is so much more than Huntington's Disease, it's an ordinary family making extraordinary decisions, facing something with extraordinary courage. It's about hopes and dreams, coming together in adversity and in celebration, life, love, faith, laughs, flaws, weaknesses, pain, loss, guilt, happiness, suffering, joy; all the ordinary things that make a family. It truly is about ... a million other things that have nothing to do with HD.

Thoughts running through my head ...

a 50/50 chance ... beyond terrifying. could I live "at risk" or would I want to know?

ignoring it, accepting it, denying it, worrying it to death wouldn't make the 50/50 any less or more ... it is what it is, regardless. 

the dread and fear would eat me up, making me 100% miserable. That's not living.

I'd have to know

"We're going to learn how to live and die with HD from you, Dad" *sob* what a horrific disease. HD really is an evil monster

I admire Joe's approach to HD "Stay in the Fight ... Stay in the Pose" 

I keep thinking about another book I've read about this disease, Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger ... I cried buckets, I understood the choice made. That story has stayed with me over the years.  

Inside the O'Briens is education and awareness gently wrapped in humour and heart.  


Connect with Lisa Genova

17 comments:

  1. Sounds a bit too emotional for me :/

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    1. I know you don't do those too often B, that's ok :)

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  2. Excellent review! I only read Still Alice this year for book club and I was really moved by it. This book sounds so moving. I remember in Still Alice how two of the kids got tested by Lydia didn't want to. Her ability to just let that worry go and continue living life is not something I would be able to do. I think that like you, I'd want to know what was coming.

    I'm glad Lisa Genova is bringing attention to this disease like she did with early onset Alzheimer's. Hopefully the book will help people who have it or have loved ones suffering from it and help readers to understand it more.

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    1. Thanks Christina. It's not a particularly well known disease but increased awareness often means increased funding and donations and hope for a treatment and cure.

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  3. I love your last sentence - 'education and awareness gently wrapped in humor and heart'. I loved this book.

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    1. Thanks Kay, Lisa Genova really is an amazing writer, I must read Love Anthony.

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  4. Wow!! That would be a hard decision ... especially if you hadn't had children of your own yet ... and if you did -- could you pass it on to them??? Wow wow wow ... this sounds good!!!!!

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    1. Isn't it awful! To test during pregnancy or to make the decision to have Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis would be traumatic too.

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  5. My review posts tomorrow. Like every book I've read by Genova, this one taught me so much in a very readable, likable way. She tackles such tough, emotional issues - no one does it better.
    I have Eternal on the Water but haven't read it - you have me curious.
    Loved your review.

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    1. I'm looking forward to your review Mary and I hope you read Eternal on the Water soon!

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  6. I still have Still Alice to read (one of my most anticipated in the queue), and this one is on my list for sure because of Still Alice. I think I might have to read a couple of happy books before I can dive into another emotional book, especially with that quote.

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  7. Three (out of three) glowing reviews I've read already today for this book! So happy I picked it up today, before I even read them. I've loved a couple other of Genova's books, she's now on my "automatic buy" list.

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  8. I've been on the fence about this one so I am glad you said is it about much more than HD.

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  9. I have never read a book by Lisa Genoa, or even heard of her for that matter. Wow a serious topic, and such a terrible disease. It would hang over my head too, I think I'd have to know, either way though such anxiety.
    Awesome review. Right from the heart.

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  10. Great review. I also think she had a good balance of info sharing vs drama (plot) in this novel. Entertaining and educational.

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  11. Great review Teddyree...this sounds like a really powerful read. I've not read this author before but am now very interested to try one of her novels.

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  12. I just recently watched Still Alice and don't think I could handle this one quite yet. I think that I wouldn't want to know. I'd choose to live in denial as long as possible.

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