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Oct 01, 2012modestgoddess rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Wow, does the description of this book ever get it wrong: it covers way more than one summer, the eldest child does NOT investigate his sister's chromosomal disorder, and the mother is a control freak who above all else wants to manage her daughter's life (and everyone else's, as far as she can manage). This is a big work, covering a huge time period, and the author does a marvellous job of making it all seem immediate and real. As one reviewer on the back cover puts it, "The ailment at the centre of this remarkable novel is the human condition itself." The Condition is a great read from start to finish, thoroughly enjoyable. It is NOT about what the description here says! Instead, it first shows the McKotch family during the summer in which the father realizes there is something amiss with his daughter. The action then jumps ahead 20 years - but the reader is filled in, when and as it's appropriate, on those missing years, and how things have played out for the parents and the three children. This is a character-driven story, and Jennifer Haigh has created wonderfully complex characters for it. She is a master of nuance and detail and she has a rich story to tell. Definitely recommend.