Inside the O'Briens - Hardcover

"This heartbreaking book tells the whole story of how a major illness affects a family. Genova's gift is to show that things do work out, in a sense. Her very human novel teaches us to keep living, to lean on each other and be there to be leaned on."--Matthew Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of WE ARE NOT OURSELVES

"Lisa Genova's deep empathy for her characters shines through this poignant and uplifting story about family, grief and the resilience of the human spirit. Kudos to this amazing writer for showing us--once again--the transformative powers of even the most devastating events. Do not miss this fabulous novel."--Barbara Shapiro, author of THE MURALIST and THE ART FORGER

"For the characters in a Lisa Genova novel, there is no way out, for genetic destiny has sealed their fate. And yet, for us as readers, there also is no way out, for we have no desire to look away. In his fear and courage, Joe O'Brien is an American hero. Huntington's disease will claim his life, but not his capacity to love. This is Genova's genius. A bold, skillful writer at the height of her narrative powers, she makes us long to hope for the hopeless and comfort the condemned. In their hard journeys, we find the small shining promise of every single ordinary day."--Jacquelyn Mitchard, author THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN and TWO IF BY SEA

"Lisa Genova's subtle, finely tuned prose gains momentum until you don't know whether to laugh, cry, or give thanks. Like all of her work, Inside the O'Briens is brimming with candor, pathos, and deeply human characters. I didn't want the book to end!"--Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS and WE NEVER ASKED FOR WINGS

"This novel of siblings rocked by their father's Huntington's disease is a total tearjerker, but ultimately it's a tribute to family love."--Glamour

"An intimate, heartbreaking look at life with Huntington's disease."--Marie Claire

"Genova...compassionately details how an illness--this time Huntington's disease--can destroy not only the afflicted, but those who love them as well."--People Magazine

"An unsparing, heart-piercing portrait...compelling...enlightening."--The Washington Post

"A moving drama."--US Weekly

"A gut-wrenching and memorable read."--Library Journal, Starred Review

A New York Times bestseller ▪ A Library Journal Best Books of 2015 Pick ▪ A St. Louis Post-Dispatch Best Books of 2015 Pick ▪A GoodReads Top Ten Fiction Book of 2015 ▪ A People Magazine Great Read

From New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova comes a “heartbreaking...very human novel” (Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves) that does for Huntington’s disease what her debut novel Still Alice did for Alzheimer’s.

Joe O’Brien is a forty-three-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s disease.

Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure, and each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate.

Praised for writing that “explores the resilience of the human spirit” (San Francisco Chronicle), Lisa Genova has once again delivered a novel as powerful and unforgettable as the human insights at its core.