Originally appeared in the Boston Book Review
(2000: Date Approximate)
Margot Livesey grew up in Scotland and teaches in Boston. Her previous books are "Homework" (1990) and "Criminals" (1995), both novels, and "Learning By Heart" (1986), a collection of short stories. Hazel, the main character of her new novel, "The Missing World" (2000), has lost her memory after being hit by a car.
The truth was . . . he found the seizures more fascinating
than distressing. After ten days at home Hazel was still having at least one,
sometimes several, a day. A few were so minor as to be barely perceptible: she
would put down her cup, blink, and continue with what she had been saying or
doing. Others, like this afternoon's, were a force of nature. And it was during
these, while she foamed and thrashed, that she made her odd pronouncements.
Much of what she said was gibberish, but Jonathan sensed an ancient power
seeking a conduit. He understood why, in other times and places, epileptics
were regarded as prophets.
"The
Missing World"
HB: There's a lot
of neurology in "The Missing World". There's the boy with Tourette's
syndrome and there's Hazel with some brain damage.
ML: Part of the
interest for me in this novel was researching various conditions and talking to
people who suffered memory losses or seizures or other uncomfortable
experiences.
