February 1, 2018

Genova's (Still Alice; Inside the O'Briens) latest book chronicles the sad demise of a concert pianist who is stricken with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Through memories and flashbacks, the novel details the tumultuous relationship of selfish musician Richard Evans and ex-wife Karina, who reconnects with him as his illness progresses. Like Jodi Picoult, Genova has found a literary niche featuring a protagonist dealing with unbearable illness. The structure of her stories can be formulaic, but Genova is sensitive in how she conveys the way an illness can shape and change family relationships. At times, her prose is marred by trite cliches and unnecessary explanations--the author is at her best when she trusts that her readers will understand what she is trying to express. She is honest and unflinching when it comes to the details of a disease, but when her characters aren't particularly likable, it's hard to care about what happens to them. VERDICT A disappointment for Genova's fans as her promising premise falls short in its execution.--Mariel Pachucki, Maple Valley, WA

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February 1, 2018
"Demoralized, pathetic, emasculated, dying"--such is the state of a classical pianist afflicted by a fast-moving, incurable disease. But it's not the end of the story, rather the beginning of a parallel journey, in neuroscientist Genova's (Inside the O'Briens, 2015, etc.) fifth work of fiction.Having made her reputation with novels about Huntington's disease, autism, and, most famously, Alzheimer's--Still Alice (2009), which was turned into a movie with Julianne Moore--Genova now turns to the merciless degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The unsuspecting sufferer is Richard Evans, a renowned musician for whom the irretrievable loss of muscle control begins with paralysis in his arms, denying him both the joy and life's purpose of playing music. But as important as Richard's career is, it's his emotional life to which the larger part of the book is devoted, specifically his failed marriage to Polish immigrant (and equally talented pianist) Karina, his distant relationship with his daughter, Grace, and his unresolved feelings toward his father, who never valued Richard's gift. While charting Richard's physical decline with her customary and precise mustering of medical symptoms, facts, treatments, and equipment, Genova appears equally interested in exploring the psychological ramifications of Richard's prognosis. In the limited time remaining to him, Richard and Karina need to find a way to apologize and forgive each other for their individual failings in the marriage; Grace needs to understand her father's regrets about his inadequate parenting; and Richard must come to terms with the damage his own father inflicted. Thus the novel has contrapuntal themes--the body's decline matched with a different struggle, toward psychic reconciliation for Richard, and Karina too.While undeniably formulaic, Genova's latest is one of her strongest--more internalized, sometimes slow, but an eloquent and touching imagining of how a peaceful terminal place might be reached.

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February 12, 2018
Genova (Still Alice) captivates with the painful but unflinching story of the demise of celebrated concert pianist Richard Evans. The novel follows debonair Richard and his ex-wife Karina, once also a pianist, who have just undergone an acrimonious divorce after a long-poisoned marriage. Richard’s sudden diagnosis with ALS and swift decline bring them under the same roof again as Karina moves back to take care of him, forcing them to confront long-buried truths about their relationship and themselves. The narration alternates between Karina, the sometimes bitter, always stalwart caretaker, and Richard, the patient who has lost his physical abilities, but gained emotional clarity. Genova meticulously catalogues the disease’s physical ravages and corresponding psychological toll, which makes for gut-wrenching but suspenseful reading. The strained, frustrated, yet tender dynamic between Richard, Karina, and their grown daughter, Grace, occasionally spills into the saccharine, though the high emotion usually feels justified given the subject. The detail Genova infuses into each narrator’s thought process, observations, and love for music makes them distinct, yet also reveals their compatibility. Genova also admirably refrains from making either too angelic; their harrowing journey, though it lacks any true narrative surprises, is both substantively informative about ALS and an emotionally wrenching psychological portrait.

January 1, 2018
Neurologist Genova, author of Still Alice (2009), about an Alzheimer's sufferer and the basis of an Oscar-winning film, shines a light on another devastating neurological disorder, ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's Disease). Gifted concert pianist Richard Evans has nurtured his career and talent at the expense of personal relationships. Then, at 45, he's diagnosed with ALS, a fatal disease that causes the death of the neurons that control muscles. As Richard's disease progresses and robs him of his career and the use of his arms, he stubbornly refuses to accept help from anyone aside from paid caregivers. But eventually, he is forced to lean on his ex-wife Karina, whose aspirations of becoming a jazz pianist were sacrificed so that Richard's career could thrive. Karina reluctantly brings Richard back to the home they once shared and becomes his full-time caregiver as he loses the use of his legs and voice. Genova expertly details the devastation ALS wreaks on Richard, and though her latest is a sometimes difficult read, she finds hope in the opportunities Richard has to repair his relationships with his daughter and brothers before it's too late. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A multifaceted promotion effort backed by a hefty print run will drum up major interest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)