Inside the O'Briens - by Lisa Genova (Paperback)

About the Book

"From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova comes a powerful new novel that does for Huntington's Disease what her debut Still Alice did for Alzheimer's. 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. 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"--

Book Synopsis

A New York Times bestseller ? A Library Journal and St. Louis Post-Dispatch Best Book of the Year ? A GoodReads Top Ten Fiction Book of the Year ? A People Magazine Great Read

From New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova comes a "heartbreaking...very human novel" (Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves) that does for Huntington's disease what her debut novel Still Alice did for Alzheimer's.

Joe O'Brien is a forty-three-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, and each of Joe's four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father's disease. 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. 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" (San Francisco Chronicle), Lisa Genova has once again delivered a novel as powerful and unforgettable as the human insights at its core.

Review Quotes

"Inside the O'Briens . . . promises to do for Huntington's disease, what Still Alice did for Alzheimer's."-- "Huffington Post"

"Inside the O'Briens is...about resilience and hope."-- "Bookreporter.com"

"A gut-wrenching and memorable read."-- "Library Journal, Starred Review"

"A moving drama."-- "US Weekly"

"An intimate, heartbreaking look at life with Huntington's disease."-- "Marie Claire"

"An unsparing, heart-piercing portrait...compelling."-- "The Washington Post"

"Compelling and masterful."-- "NYJOURNALOFBOOKS.com"

"For the characters in a Lisa Genova novel, there is no way out, for genetic destiny has sealed their fate. And yet, for us as readers, there also is no way out, for we have no desire to look away. In his fear and courage, Joe O'Brien is an American hero. Huntington's disease will claim his life, but not his capacity to love. This is Genova's genius. A bold, skillful writer at the height of her narrative powers, she makes us long to hope for the hopeless and comfort the condemned. In their hard journeys, we find the small shining promise of every single ordinary day."--Jacquelyn Mitchard, author THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN and TWO IF BY SEA

"Genova...compassionately details how an illness--this time Huntington's disease--can destroy not only the afflicted, but those who love them as well."-- "People Magazine"

"Genova's book will move readers as well as demystify a condition sometimes called 'the cruelest disease known to man.'"-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Lisa Genova's deep empathy for her characters shines through this poignant and uplifting story about family, grief and the resilience of the human spirit. Kudos to this amazing writer for showing us--once again--the transformative powers of even the most devastating events. Do not miss this fabulous novel."--Barbara Shapiro, author of THE MURALIST and THE ART FORGER

"Lisa Genova's subtle, finely tuned prose gains momentum until you don't know whether to laugh, cry, or give thanks. Like all of her work, Inside the O'Briens is brimming with candor, pathos, and deeply human characters. I didn't want the book to end!"--Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS and WE NEVER ASKED FOR WINGS

"Sympathetic, absorbing, multifaceted characters compel the reader's compassion. While Genova's background in neuroscience allows her to portray medical issues accurately, the heart of the O'Briens' story is human....Poignant and painful, warm and redemptive, Inside the O'Briens displays Genova's established strengths in bringing neuroscience to the lay reader, and portraying the power of love."-- "Shelf Awareness"

"This heartbreaking book tells the whole story of how a major illness affects a family. Genova's gift is to show that things do work out, in a sense. Her very human novel teaches us to keep living, to lean on each other and be there to be leaned on."--Matthew Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of WE ARE NOT OURSELVES

"This novel of siblings rocked by their father's Huntington's disease is a total tearjerker, but ultimately it's a tribute to family love."-- "Glamour"

About the Author

Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O'Briens, and Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She is featured in the documentary films To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg. Her TED talks on Alzheimer's disease and memory have been viewed over eleven million times.