I thoroughly enjoyed the book Still Alice by Lisa Genova. I loved how she was able to bring you the story through Alice's perspective and it felt positively authentic. So with that in mind, I decided to read Left Neglected. This book explores the neurological syndrome known as Left Neglect, which is when "after damage to one hemisphere of the brain is sustained, a deficit in attention to and awareness of one side of space is observed. It is defined by the inability of a person to process and perceive stimuli on one side of the body or environment, where that inability is not due to a lack of sensation[1]."
The novel follows the story of Sarah Nickerson, a high-achieving, Harvard graduate who packs her day full of work, taking care of her 3 children, and answering e-mails and phone calls anytime she has a free 5 minutes. It is an unsustainable pace that only comes crashing to a halt when she suffers a traumatic brain injury as a result from a horrific car accident. She is diagnosed with Left Neglect and needs to learn how to live life at a different pace. As horrific as "losing" half of your body, vision, and awareness is, it allowed Sarah to reconnect with her family and realize there is more important things in life than work and status.
Genova's writing style is wonderful. She is able to connect you with her characters within the first pages. You understand Sarah's mindset prior to the accident and you feel her pain as she struggles to reconcile who she was before the accident to her new life after it. You never doubt how much she values her family even when it seems like work took the top priority in her life. You felt everything that Sarah experienced. You feel her doubt that her husband Bob would want to stay with her out of love instead of obligation, you feel her heartbreak when she can't run to her children when they need her, and you feel her acceptance as she realizes her life will never be the same but that could be a good thing.
Happy Reading!
Jackie
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