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Book Review of The Condition

The Condition
The Condition
Author: Jennifer Haigh
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Hardcover
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Helpful Score: 1


This is the second novel by Jennifer Haigh that I've read and I'm a fan. Her characters (in this case a family that fell apart in the 70s, now living dysfunctional lives in the 90s) are quirky enough to be entertaining, but grounded enough to be believable.

"The Condition" refers to Turner's Syndrome, which the only daughter of the family has. As an adult, she is child-sized, undeveloped physically, and in many ways, undeveloped emotionally. Her two brothers feel their lives have been warped by their parents' reactions to her condition and the subsequent demise of their marriage.

This may sound like heavy subject matter, and in some ways it is, but Haigh manages to keep it fresh and riveting.