Family Drama

Story of family who learn their daughter has Turner Syndrome and how it effects each of their lives. A bit slow at times, but has a strong finish.

I would maybe give the second half of the book 2 stars, but i hated the entire first half of this book, found every single character unlikable, and didn't like the ending. So.... One star it is. ( )

An extremely engaging read about the defenses that we have to protect us when dealing with others. It is ultimately about each person's condition -- the bits of them that keep them from being completely fulfilled and the fundamental weaknesses that define personalities.

Simultaneous to the extremely moving emotional story is an extremely well-researched scientific one. In my career I have met several girls & women with Turner's syndrome & every bit of Gwen's story rang true. Similarly, I have met several scientists and doctors & the personalities of Billy and Frank and the details of their professional lives down to the minutia was done sincerely. Each character is well-rounded, likeable, flawed and ultimately believable, which is the true strength of the novel. ( )

The Condition the title refers to is Turner's syndrome. A condition in which young girls never go through puberty,leaving them women, locked in girls bodies. The story can be summed up by one wonderful paragraph very late in the novel:

"She no longer wonders what is normal,whether she feels correctly. It is impossible to say.Her whole life she's known that her condition is untreatable. Now she understands that it requires no treatment. The difference is vast;you could fit a whole life in the gulf between. And so she has."
( )