Inside the O'Briens

April 13, 2015
Neuroscientist and novelist Genova (Still Alice) creates another poignant portrayal of those affected by neurological disorders. Joe OâBrien, a third-generation Irish American and longtime Boston cop, begins experiencing violent rages, sudden falls, and difficulties keeping still. Colleagues think heâs drinking, but Joe denies any problem until his wife, Rosie, insists he see a doctor. Tests reveal Huntingtonâs Disease, an incurable genetic disorder causing slow degeneration and death. Even worse, Joe and Rosieâs four children each have a 50-50 chance of having Huntingtonâs themselves. Will ballet dancer Megan, rebellious Patrick, or married firefighter JJ have, and pass along, the gene? How can the youngest sibling, 21-year-old Katie, balance her familyâs needsâand her own chance of illnessâwith her fledgling attempts to craft an adult life beyond the shelter of the OâBriensâ close circle? Does the news require Joe to reinterpret his own motherâs troubled life and death? Narrated through Joe and Katieâs contrasting viewpoints, the novel effectively dramatizes the challenge of an illness that affects several generations simultaneously and demands searing emotional, logistical, and financial choices. Genovaâs book will move readers as well as demystify a condition sometimes called âthe cruelest disease known to man.â

Skipp Sudduth's performance of Genova's exploration of Huntington's disease makes the science of this inherited, incurable, degenerative nerve disease very personal. Joe O'Brien, 44, is an Irish cop with a wife and four children in their twenties. After some strange episodes, Joe is diagnosed with Huntington's. Sudduth's no-nonsense delivery and unemotional handling of this highly emotional subject are exactly right. As the O'Brien children learn that each has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the illness and that a simple blood test can tell if they have the gene, Sudduth makes their awakening to the deadly possibilities palpable. As they watch their father's symptoms worsen, they wonder if they really want to know their genetic futures. Clear-eyed and heartrending, this is top-notch listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine