Description:
A neurologist grapples with depression, love, and the elusive ability to cry.
Adam Turner, a Washington-based neurologist, appears conventional but is tormented by the idea of his death and a lifelong inability to cry. He sees life as a hellish experience, seeking brief release in extramarital affairs. Confronted with his friend Jean's impending death, his despair deepens. Then, during a visit to New York, Adam encounters Edna, and their relationship transforms him.
Back in Washington, buoyed by his affair, Adam examines a patient who may offer a cure for his inability to shed tears. His mind fills with thoughts of a joyful existence, but his pleasure may be too good to be true. This novel is for readers who enjoy psychological explorations and literary fiction.
Brief description:
Bernard Sussman is a neurological surgeon with special training and long clinical experience in electroencephalography, the interpretation of brain waves. As a professor and medical researcher, he has authored many well-regarded scientific articles. He is a pioneer in the treatment of stroke and herniated discs with enzyme therapy.
This is his first novel. Sussman recently completed another novel about obsessive compulsive disorder and a non-fiction work about medical standards in healthcare delivery.
With his wife, Dr. Clare Stein, he lives in Washington, D.C.