Corrine Brown’s memoir ME, MOM & THE MONSTER: Our Dance Through Huntington’s Disease explores Corrine and her mother’s journey through Huntington’s Disease. In June 1998, Mae received a Gene-Positive diagnosis for HD that put her at a 50% risk of developing the symptoms. The events unfold from both the mother's and daughter’s perspectives, as they navigate HD from diagnosis to Mae’s complete loss of independence and mobility. The experience deeply impacted the author's mental health, and she turned to alcoholism to cope with the monster (Huntington’s) that was taking over her mother. Brown's rage and helplessness are in stark contrast to her mother’s firm resolve and matter-of-fact approach towards her own suffering.
Brown shows a confident command of her craft with certain stylistic choices, employing a lucid style whose linguistic simplicity allows the emotional weight to emerge: “My mother died in little bits. I may have been closing in on fifty-two when she died, but I was twenty-eight when I started mourning her.” First-person narration offers an intimate exploration of trauma and the struggles associated with going through Huntington’s. The mother’s frustration at the inability to feed herself is clear in such lines as this: “It doesn’t matter that those vibrant green peas came from our garden; they still fall off the fork and fling across the table as the chorea takes over the fine motor skills I need to feed myself.” Meanwhile, the daughter’s psychological and physical responses to the knowledge that her mother is unable to eat are clear as well: “not being able to swallow the food myself because of the knots in my stomach and the tightness in my throat.”
Despite a few incidents of neglect, Brown respectfully acknowledges the contributions of personal care assistants and long-term care homes. This book advocates the importance of these institutions for both the patient and the family without being preachy. Brown also employs a self-aware approach to her own trauma response. She advocates therapy and condemns her own destructive coping mechanisms. The subject of gene testing is explored neutrally, acknowledged as a choice. Brown also demonstrates a thorough understanding of the human experience by handling these sensitive issues with emotional maturity.
Pictures of Mae at different points in her battle with Huntington's are carefully placed throughout the memoir, adding to the narrative context and emotional weight of Mae’s story. The narrative has a clear progression in the context of Mae’s disease, which makes the book as emotionally devastating as it is immersive. Along with research-backed references for studies quoted in the book, ME, MOM & THE MONSTER feels like an exceptional depiction of how Huntington's affects people.
Corrine Brown's memoir ME, MOM & THE MONSTER: Our Dance Through Huntington’s Disease brings forth the emotional realities of navigating the disease from the perspective of a patient and a supportive family member. With an emotionally aware and vulnerable account of a journey that spans two decades, this book remains a must-read for patients, family, and caregivers.
~Maria Zafar for IndieReader