The Strange Case of Jane O. - Large Print by Karen Thompson Walker (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this spellbinding and provocative novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Miracles, a young mother is struck by sudden and puzzling psychological symptoms that illuminate the mysterious dimensions of the human mind--and of love.

A Belletrist Book Club Pick

A year after her child is born, Jane suffers a series of strange episodes: amnesia, premonitions, hallucinations, and an inexplicable sense of dread. Three days after her first visit to a psychiatrist, Jane suddenly goes missing. A day later she is found unconscious in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, in the midst of what seems to be an episode of dissociative fugue; when she comes to, she has no memory of what has happened to her.

Are Jane's strange experiences the result of being overwhelmed by motherhood, or are they manifestations of a long-buried trauma from her past? Why is she having visions of a young man who died twenty years ago and who warns her of a disaster ahead? Jane's symptoms lead her psychiatrist ever deeper into the farthest reaches of her mind and cause him to question everything he thinks he knows about so-called reality--including events in his own life.

Karen Thompson Walker's profound and beautifully written novel is both a speculative mystery about memory, identity, and fate and a mesmerizing literary puzzle about the bonds of love--between mother and child, between a man and a woman, and among those we've lost but who may still be among us.

Review Quotes

"Quiet, cool-toned. . . . Scenes vibrate with the high-key hopes and anxieties of adolescence, the inherent loneliness of being a person in the world."--The New York Times

"A mesmerizing tale about the mysteries of the brain, the limits of rationality and the magic of love."--People

"Engrossing . . . Sculpting a novel that conveys vastness through inner lives alone is a tremendous challenge. Making that same novel a page-turning mystery that's simultaneously moving and often nail-biting is another challenge altogether. With The Strange Case of Jane O., Karen Thompson Walker rises to meet both of these challenges head-on, and succeeds."--BookPage

"A brilliant and unforgettable novel, at once a metaphysical thriller, a psychological mystery, and a profound love story--a book for every haunted heart. I couldn't put it down."--Karen Russell, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Swamplandia!

"An astonishing novel--a mind-blowing blend of page-turning mystery and deep philosophical inquiry into the nature of memory and reality itself . . . Karen Thompson Walker has created an unputdownable book (I read it in a single day) with a haunting twist ending I'll be thinking about for a long time. I'm in awe."--Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls

"In her brilliant and mesmerizing new novel, Karen Thompson Walker asks thrilling and vital questions about perception, memory, consciousness, and the limits of our known world. Elegant, propulsive, ingeniously structured, and intellectually rich, The Strange Case of Jane O. is both mind-bending and soul-altering. I loved it."--Jessamine Chan, author of The School for Good Mothers

"This is one of the best books I've ever read."--Olivia Gatwood, author of Whoever You Are, Honey

"Walker (The Dreamers) often juxtaposes the past and what might be the future, to create stories that feel both visceral and luminous. . . . At once quiet and intense, the novel takes an unexpected turn during its final chapters that begs its audience to reread in search of clues. Perfect for readers who like their literary fiction with an edge of psychological mystery."--Library Journal

"Mesmerizing . . . an alluring vision of how personal history and memory intertwine."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"In the acknowledgments, Thompson Walker writes that she spent years researching this book, and that research is evident. . . . Thompson Walker's masterful prose propels the reader through this haunting and sublime story. Highly recommended."--Booklist, starred review

"The relationships among scientific fact, emotion, and psychology are tangled here. No viewpoint is reliable, but no one is wrong. [Walker turns] the narrative on its head in satisfyingly disturbing ways. . . . An exhilarating and riveting must-read and then read-again."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

Karen Thompson Walker's New York Times bestseller The Age of Miracles has been translated into twenty-nine languages and was named one of the best books of the year by People, O: The Oprah Magazine, and Financial Times, among other publications. Her second novel, The Dreamers, was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and was named one of the best books of the year by Glamour, Real Simple, and Good Housekeeping. Born and raised in San Diego, Walker is a graduate of UCLA and the Columbia MFA program. She is an associate professor of creative writing and lives with her husband, the novelist Casey Walker, and their two daughters in Portland, Oregon.