A review by eileen9311
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

4.0

Jennifer Haigh again gets many stars! Initially, I’d been apprehensive as there was a fair bit of scientific detail early on, and I’m a lazy reader. However, a friend commented that The Condition had been her favorite by this author, so I stayed the course. Just a few more pages and I was hooked! It was quite intriguing and far from predictable! Much of the story takes place on Cape Cod, in Truro. The descriptions of the historic, sprawling family home and memories of past summers, the smell of the ocean, and the exhilaration crossing the Sagamore Bridge all struck a chord. As the title promises, there was a medical condition which was crucial to the plot. However, other factors impacting family dynamics, such as self-perceptions and insecurities, remembrances and disappointments, contribute as well. The author makes it a poignantly clear how an instinctive loyalty to one’s traditions and the way a person was raised can surface repeatedly in a parent’s expectations. Another recurring theme is that the passage of time inevitably impacts the ebb and flow of family relationships.