Book review: Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Release date: January 2, 2011
Goodreads rating: 3.98
My rating: 5
This post contains affiliate links that earn us a commission at no cost to you. This helps to support the work of The Bookish Bulletin.
I read Lisa Genova’s Still Alice many years ago and to this day, the story remains vivid for me. I appreciated how Genova, as a neuroscientist by training, used fiction to help me better understand life from the perspective of a person with Alzheimer’s. This latest book, Left Neglected, had the same effect for me. This one deals with brain injuries.
The story follows Lisa, a busy executive, mom and wife who is struggling to keep up with the hectic pace of her life. One day, she wakes up in the hospital… an accident has left her with Left Neglect, a (real) neurological condition typically linked to strokes or traumatic brain injuries where individuals fail to perceive or control the left side of their body. We follow Lisa in her journey towards recovery and become witness to her adaptability, her resilience, and the resilience of those around her who must also adapt to new caregiving and financial challenges.
What Lisa Genova is doing is critically important, in my opinion. Through her stories, we get to walk a (fictional) mile in someone else’s shoes. Her stories also remind us that lives can change suddenly… bringing similar awareness to prevention.
The story is told from Lisa’s first-person perspective, was easy to follow and kept me engaged throughout. I strongly recommend this book.
Other books you may enjoy:
The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy
Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn