The Condition

by: Jennifer Haigh

Published by: Harper

Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart

From Jennifer Haigh, the author of Baker Towers and Mrs. Kimble, comes her long-awaited new novel, The Condition. Set in and around Massachusetts, The Condition tells the story of a family that is torn apart by a daughter’s medical condition. Or rather that is merely the crutch everyone uses to blame their dysfunctional situation.

The story opens in 1976 when the McKotch family heads to Cape Cod and the familial retreat. Paulette, Frank, and their three children—Billy, Gwen, and Scott—are joined by Paulette’s brother, Roy and his family, and her sister, Martine. It is there that Frank notices that his thirteen-year-old daughter, Gwen, has developed at the same rate as her cousin.

Frank, an MIT scientist who would rather be in his lab than at the beach, is positive that something dire is wrong with Gwen. Frank’s suspicions are indeed correct. Gwen is diagnosed with Turner’s Syndrome, a genetic condition that will not allow her body to mature. Gwen will forever be short. She will never have periods, breasts, or babies.

I had thought that The Condition would be more about Gwen and her condition and how this syndrome affected her life. Instead, Haigh takes the readers on an unexpected, and remarkable, journey.
Gwen’s diagnosis is merely the catalyst for the rest of the family drama. In fact, Gwen shares the role of protagonist with each member of her immediate family.

The story skips ahead to 1997. Frank and Paulette have divorced, Billy is living in the closet in New York, Gwen works in a museum in Pittsburgh, and Scott has recently returned from a failed life in California with a wife and two kids.

Haigh’s novel looks deeply into the lives of each family member. Readers get a chance to know each family member intimately. It is a satisfying read, with each family member having a chance to have his/her story told. As wonderful as the story was, the writing didn’t sparkle. Some chapters droned on and on and were over-written; the information more back story than plot point. And at The Condition’s near end, Haigh moves the timeframe into 2001 by using a cheap shot of 9/11.

Armchair Interviews says: Another well-done look at dysfunctional families.

Author’s Web site: http://www.JenniferHaigh.com