A Great Place for a Seizure by Terry Tracy

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): Mischa Dunn's family flees Chile in the wake of the 1973 coup d’état that installs a military dictatorship. She settles comfortably in her newly adopted country, the United States, until one day, an unexplained seizure in a library signals the beginning of her life with epilepsy. With an engaging balance of humor, insight, and sensitivity Mischa draws the reader into a vivid tale that travels across three continents over thirty years.

MY OPINION:

A Great Place for a Seizure tells us a fictional life-story of an epileptic. However, this book is much more than just that, as it introduces the reader to places, people and cultures halfway across the globe, from Chile to the States, Guatemala, and United Kingdom.

Though numerous topics are interesting, the transitions between them are sometimes jumpy and therefore confusing. Tracy’s writing is in some places matter-of-factly, and medical explanations are tedious, although educational, on some spots. There are some grammatical mistakes; however, they do not interfere with reading. The strongest point of Tracy’s writing is her exploration of emotions and mentality of the main protagonist.

Misha is an admirable character for her clear-headed personality and strength. She insists upon not letting her medical condition dictate the way she lives or hinder what she can accomplish. I can relate to Misha in regard to her experience with doctors. I have a great respect for many good, caring and devoted doctors. Yet, I am also familiar with doctors who treat patients as machines in need of repair, writing prescription and recommending surgeries without giving the patient a say, such doctors as Misha encounters many times.

I did not care much for Hector, Misha’s husband, at first, mainly because he and his relationship with Misha are underrepresented initially – their meeting and forming a life together is simply stated as a series of facts, which results in the lack of emotional involvement on the part of the reader. However, that changes when the author shows Hector standing up for Misha towards the end of the book and finally lets the reader into his mind. I liked that Hector very much and I just wish he had been better portrayed from the beginning.

On the whole, A Great Place for a Seizure is a good testimony of how a person should not be discouraged by a medical condition and should aspire to live a full life.

RECOMMENDATION: Despite a few of my complaints, I think this is a book everyone could benefit from, as the reader may learn something about the people living, not only with epilepsy, but with any kind of medical condition.

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.