UNCONTROLLABLE is a powerful and solidly-written book by Sara Staggs, managing to communicate even to the healthy reader something of what it feels like to lose control of one’s own brain function. The main protagonists are Casey, a successful lawyer suffering from epilepsy that isn’t responding to medication very well anymore, and her husband Jonah, trying to balance his own work and home life while supporting his wife’s physical and emotional battle with her disease. The story is told from both their perspectives, giving the reader a balanced view. This is particularly valuable since there are plenty of places where they unknowingly or unwillingly hurt each other through their actions and through what they communicate and what they fail to, and it is useful to see both sides of the story from the beginning. Throughout, it is made absolutely clear that no matter how difficult or painful their relationship becomes, both partners do in fact deeply love each other, and therefore the reader is encouraged by the story to root for both of them, and for their marriage.
To Staggs’s credit, not only does she address Casey’s struggles in trying to balance the stress inflicted by a demanding and abrasive boss, and the literal brain damage it causes her, with the opportunity inherent in the case of a lifetime, but also Jonah’s battle against the sexism in the workplace that leads his bosses to assume that a man who takes time to be involved with his family, and does not leave all child-rearing and family responsibilities to his wife, is not a dedicated-enough employee to merit promotion. Sexism in this book hurts men and women both, and attacks the family unit at its heart. Casey’s fight to retain her identity and the career that gives her life meaning, while preventing the stress from literally killing her, is treated sympathetically- and so is Jonah’s fight to prove himself as a valuable employee even if he doesn’t spend evenings and weekends at the office. The stresses and strains on both of them are clearly visible, and the emotional impact of the book is enhanced by the author’s ability to draw the reader into their feelings and empathize with them. Staggs shows a deft touch at capturing and describing emotions in well-drawn little moments like Casey’s horror at finding herself unable to speak or move when portions of her brain are stimulated, or Jonah, left at home while Casey is away for treatment, swallowing his own fear and loneliness to comfort their kids. All in all, this is a powerful and beautiful book about family, career, and how to cope with the catastrophe of a brain that betrays its owner when it’s most needed.
UNCONTROLLABLE by Sara Staggs is a wrenchingly-painful but ultimately heartwarming look at the way that the human brain can wreak havoc on its owner’s life, and on the courage and tenacity needed to face life in the face of uncontrollable epilepsy.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader