More Than It Hurts You by Darrin Strauss
You heard it here first: More Than It Hurts You will be nominated for the National Book Award this year. It reminds me of no book more than The Corrections, which despite the Franzen backlash is a masterpiece. Strauss might not have attained the perfect touch Franzen achieved in that novel, but More Than It Hurts You shares its general profile and spirit, while also being an unpredictable page turner.
The story centers around a possible case of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. If you aren’t a Law and Order: SVU addict, then you might not know that MSbP is a rare disorder in which a parent, usually a mother, intentionally induces an illness in her child. Possible motivations differ–the mother might enjoy the attention she receives in a crisis, she might want to galvanize the family around the child’s sickness, or her motivations might not be evident at all. In Strauss’ novel, the mother in question is Dori Goldin, who is accused of harming her son Zack. Her accuser, Darlene Stokes, is a young, successful black pediatrician with a child of her own. The novel is essentially a story of these two families, and the way their very different pasts play into their present turbulent conflict.
Dori and Josh Goldin are to all appearances an alpha couple, the face of a perfect family. Dori is an ex-phlebotomist become full time mother, and Josh is an ad saleman who works his charm like a corporate Jedi. Cracks only appear in the facade when their infant Zack “codes” when in the emergency room–for no obvious reason. In comes Darleen Stokes who finds Dori’s behavior suspicious and Zack’s near fatality inexplicable. Stokes is a second generation single mother who has, through the determination of her mother and her own intelligence and abition, become the head of pediatrics at a prominant hospital. Her accusation against the Goldins leads Josh to employ a sharp, if not particularly scrupulous, lawyer…and so it begins: a legal battle, a media firestorm, and a personal trial for all involved.
If you’re thinking this won’t be a stress-free read, you’re right. No one in the story is perfect, and in general their imperfections are subtle enough that we can relate to them. And it’s no fun imagining oneself being swept up into the circus of slants and spins that surrounds these characters. Nevertheless, the novel isn’t burdensome to read. It pulls more like a thriller than a social novel, and it sparks thought as it’s doing so. That’s a tough trick.
Strauss is not quite on the echelon of a Roth, but that this even merits saying is a compliment to his ability. He still has a few pecadillos that can become annoying. Clever little metaphors are a little too abundant, and there are elements of the plot–like Stokes’ father, the ex-con–that don’t seem to fully pull their weight. Nevertheless, I’ll probably read everything this guy has written–Chang and Eng, and The Real McCoy–and I will look forward to watch his trajectory. I predict it’s upward.