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Very fun Isabel Allende book.

I'd picked this book up thinking it would be a light, undemanding read - a collection of medical oddities and bizarre tales. Some of the tales do fall into this category: The Disembodied Lady (about a woman who suffers a loss of proprioception), Hands (about a woman who doesn't regard her hands as being part of herself) and Phantoms (about phantom limbs). But other tales were more a reflection on the human condition. In the title tale, Sacks muses over severe visual agnosia and its destruction of Mr P's sense of the concrete, how he perceives and interprets the world. In The Lost Mariner, Sacks discusses whether a patient with severe amnesia - where the patient can no longer recall any event beyond 5 minutes - can really be described as living. For what is a life with no memories of experiences and relationships? Some of the tales discussed how a patient's neurological condition was seen (by the patient) as adding to, rather than detracting from, his sense of self and life. Witty Ticcy Ray - about a Tourette sufferer - in many ways reminded me of Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind on her experience with bipolar disorder. How there were many lows, but there were exquisite moments on the upswing, when the creativity, energy and sense of clarity she had was addictive and exhilerating. The section on "The World of the Simple" was probably the most intriguing for me, with its tales of Rebecca (a so-called simpleton who had an appreciation of the concrete and narrative in poetry and music), the Autist Artist, the Twins and A Walking Grove (on a patient with retardation but an amazing musical memory)

Tough Read regardless if you have been abused or not. And for those who have been abused this book may be a trigger. Having said that I found A Stolen Life inspirational which is why I gave it 5 stars. I commend Jaycee for sharing her story. As to the actual writing - one will not find beautiful prose or inspirational quotes to tack on your wall. As Jaycee's story of her childhood it reads authentically from a child's viewpoint since she mentally/emotionally arrested at around age 11. It comes off more in the format of a diary and does include some of her journaling. Nothing is polished or neatly edited so if that bothers you beware. I did though walk away with a few gems, more validations than anything about how beauty and hope survive in horrible circumstances and how fear controls and overwhelms. Also her narrative shows how emotional lines can be blurred in the relationship between abuser/abused. Which for those who have never been abused can either be confusing or be a glimpse into the very complex nature of the beast. Overall there are no easy answers here or any answers at all. Jaycee was and is a beautiful girl who sustained her belief in love and hope throughout her ordeal, & after when reunited with her mother. That is a very beautiful thing and can give hope to all the other Jaycee's out there. That alone should make this a 5 star book.