Book Review and Giveaway: Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

** this giveaway is closed **


Today's book is not new, but it has just come out in paperback! Somehow I missed reading it when it came out in hardback, but I am VERY happy I got to review the paperback edition!


SynopsisSarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in Welmont, the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life with her husband Bob, faithful nanny, and three children—Lucy, Charlie, and nine-month-old Linus. 

Between recruiting the best and brightest minds as the vice president of human resources at Berkley Consulting; shuttling the kids to soccer, day care, and piano lessons; convincing her son's teacher that he may not, in fact, have ADD; and making it home in time for dinner, it's a wonder this over-scheduled, over-achieving Harvard graduate has time to breathe.

A self-confessed balloon about to burst, Sarah miraculously manages every minute of her life like an air traffic controller. Until one fateful day, while driving to work and trying to make a phone call, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In the blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her jam-packed life come to a screeching halt. 

A traumatic brain injury completely erases the left side of her world, and for once, Sarah relinquishes control to those around her, including her formerly absent mother. Without the ability to even floss her own teeth, she struggles to find answers about her past and her uncertain future. 

Now, as she wills herself to regain her independence and heal, Sarah must learn that her real destiny—her new, true life—may in fact lie far from the world of conference calls and spreadsheets. And that a happiness and peace greater than all the success in the world is close within reach, if only she slows down long enough to notice.



About the AuthorLisa Genova graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy, Support Network International and DementiaUSA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's association. She lives with her husband and two children in Cape Cod. She is also the author of the New York Timesbestselling novel, Still Alice.


Review: I thought this book might be interesting. Boy was I wrong- it is mesmerizing! Seriously, I read it in THREE hours. The whole book! It's over 300 pages, but it just zooms as you keep wanting to find out what will happen next to Susan and her family. While we may not be uber-business types, we know the challenges of working, raising kids, trying to find time with hubby, and all the household chores that need to be done- we can empathasize with her. 


I think every one of us, especially as parents, has a moment when we think 'what if''- having kids has a tendency to make you consider them more seriously-and worry about what would happen with our kids/spouse, if something bad happened to us. In this story Genova brings it home in a way that makes you sit up and tale notice and be thankful for what you have on a daily basis.


I had heard of 'left neglect', but did not have a thorough understanding of it. Genova does a great job of explaining the nuances of it and HOW patients cope with it. I was super impressed and awed with the amount of knowledge shared in the book! Reading this book will make you way concerned with head injuries in the future, but that's a good thing.


This book will also make you consider the what if of changing your life around. If this book doesn't make you rethink putting too much stress in your life, nothing will! I found it to be inspirational in an unexpected way. We should all think what gives us joy and try to aspire to it, because in the blink of an eye, you may never be able to enjoy it again, in the same way, or at all. 


I urge everyone to read this book! You won;t regret it!







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Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Gallery Books, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.


Comments

  1. I am an e-mail subscriber. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com . Anne

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  2. I just finished reading Left Neglected (which was wonderfully on my new Kindle yesterday morning!) and really, really liked it. The left neglect condition is fascinating to me even though I luckily cannot quite fathom it. The story was engrossing even beyond the traumatic brain injury, with the description of Sarah's life pre and post accident. I got stressed just reading about her life! I think that this would be a fascinating book club book, particularly if there is a mix of career and stay at home moms.

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