A moving novel about a busy, vibrant woman in her 30s who has a car accident, leaving her to deal with a crippling disorder called left neglect. This is an incredibly powerful story that will drive you through without taking your eyes off the page.

A Richard and Judy Autumn Read 2011.

Synopsis

One typical morning, Sarah Nickerson, a woman in her mid-thirties, is late for work, racing in her car after dropping her kids off at school and daycare. She tries to phone in to a meeting she should already be at when she takes her eye off the road for a second too long. In that blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her over-scheduled life come to a screeching halt. Sarah suffers a traumatic head injury. Her memory and intellect are intact, but she has lost all interest in, and the ability to perceive, information coming from the left side of space. The left side of her world has gone. Sarah only eats the food from the right side of her plate. She can't see her watch, or her engagement diamond or her wedding ring. She tries to use a wheel chair but can only spin in circles as her left arm dangles by her side.

Reviews

'Remember how you couldn't put down Still Alice? Well, clear your schedule--because you're going to feel the same way.' - Jodi Picoult

'Lisa Genova is the Michael Crichton of brain science. What she proved with Still Alice, she proves again with Left Neglected. This is huge, powerful human drama at its elegant best.' - Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean

'As Sarah Nickerson works her way through a devastating brain injury and back into her hectic life, she is forced to re-evaluate what really matters. I dare any reader to not do the same in their own lives after reading this book.' - Ann Hood, author of Comfort, The Red Thread and Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine

'Lisa Genova has done it again! By turns chilling and deeply moving, Left Neglected is a stunning reminder that a single moment can change a life...A Triumph on many levels' - Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader

'Achingly real. Beautifully written. Lisa Genova takes us on a moving journey of loss, forgiveness, hope, love and the resilience of the human spirit.'- Julia Fox Garrison, author of Don't Leave Me This Way

'Intuitive and captivating. In this moving chronicle of a family's struggle with brain injury, Lisa Genova powerfully conveys the shattering trials of an ordinary life made alien by brain injury, and in the process reveals the true power and strength of the human spirit. Left Neglected will leave you stunned and inspired.' - Michael Paul Mason, author of Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath

'Devastating and hopeful, haunting and familiar, Left Neglected is a triumph of insight and empathy.' - Stefan Merrill Block, International Bestselling author of The Story of Forgetting and The Storm at the Door

'Once again, Lisa Genova goes where few authors dare, and mines a compelling and beautifully written story about finding peace, wisdom and human connection. While Sarah Nickerson's condition is rare, her journey is universal. - Lynn Kiele Bonasia, author of Summer Shift

'A sentimental but compelling read that reminds us that appreciating health is a no-brainer'
The Lady

'Insightful ... a stark reminder of the fine line that separates everyday life from disaster
Daily Mail

About the Author

Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy and Support Network International and DementiaUSA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association. She lives with her husband and two children on the Cape. Still Alice was her first novel and her second also centers on a neurologist impairment called Left Neglected. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation