Left Neglected
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Add a SummaryFrom book jacket. Sarah 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 must pay close attention to the details surrounding her, including her formerly absent mother. Without an awareness of the food on the left side of her plate or even her own left hand, she is forced to search for answers in the void of this strange hemi-world, both about the 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 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.
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Add a CommentI really enjoyed this book - I enjoy reading stories about people who have overcome great difficulties to go on to lead a (mostly) normal life. The author did a great job of portraying the very real medical condition of Left Neglect.
I read Genova's previous novel, Still Alice, and while it was not a great work of literature was an interesting topic covered from a unique perspective--the patient's perspective. I was consequently drawn to her next book, Left Neglected. The main character in Left Neglected suffers a brain injury following a car accident promoted by not only her driving style but also her lifestyle. She is a married mother of three determined to win the career game at all costs. She is not a very likeable character but mellows as a consequence of her injury. It was a good quick read that enlightened me about a certain kind of brain injury and the potential that disabled individuals have for a full and happy life.
A really great look at what it must be like to suffer from the condition of left neglect. I also enjoyed the ending as it escaped being trite by letting Sarah continue working at an office in a diminished capacity, even though it seems to good to be true that her husband made it all work too.
What would it be like if you had a head injury and left no longer existed for you? That is the concept of this novel that is a quick and interesting read. Although a heavy subject the author has written it in a light way that leaves the reader with a simple message to slow down in life.
I have a relative who suffers from left neglect, so I found the author's portrayal of Sarah to be fair, realistic, and interesting. It gave me a new appreciation for what my relative went through. The plot was somewhat predictable, but I think everyone can learn from Sarah's quest to slow down and make her family life simpler.
A great look into what its like to have a brain injury. I found the book both interesting and informative. Good Read!
All though interesting in part, this novel is not as good as her first mainly because the main character is not fully developed and at times the reader feels alienated from her. The ending is wrapped up so nicely it doesn't read as sincere or entirely realistic. Also, it's fairly repetitive, constantly summing up what's happened so far all through the novel - a bit annoying!
Excellent Book!!! Definitely worth a read...
My new favorite author!
okay, this is better than Genova's first novel and her understanding of the deficits facing Sarah truly add to the novel. She still needs to work on her other characters, though. The relationship between Sarah and her mother and Sarah and her husband are sketchy and a little trite. The parallels between Sarah as a mother and how Sarah's mother raised her are not as defined as they could have been. It is still worth a read and at under 300 pages, it's a quick diversion.