Lisa Genova Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Lisa Genova is an American author best known for writing contemporary fiction about people living with neurological disorders. For her critically acclaimed works, she has often been referred to as brain science’s Michael Crichton and fiction’s Oliver Sacks. Lisa made her debut in fiction writing with the publication of “Still Alice” in 2007, a novel that went on to become an award-winning title and New York Times bestseller. As for Lisa, she went to Bates College from where she graduated with a degree in Biopsychology and was valedictorian. She would later get her Neuroscience Ph.D. from Harvard University. Genova has earned her place in contemporary fiction by writing narratives that are inspired by the human spirit and neuroscience. Her novels are typically themed on neurological disorders and diseases and the people living with them that are often misunderstood, feared, or ignored by the public. Through her novels, Genova is determined to describe with accuracy and passion the journey of persons afflicted by neurological disorders to demystify, educate, and inspire scientific research and support for care. Among the diseases she has written about include ALS, Huntington’s disease, autism, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Lisa Genova’s debut novel “Still Alice” was made into a movie by the same name that starred Hunter Parrish, Kate Bosworth, Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, and Julianne Moore. Julianne Moore acting as Alice Howland was the winner of the Best Actress Award at the 2015 Oscars. In 2015, Lisa was honored when she made the list of Top 50 Influencers in Aging in the United States. Other important awards that she has received include the The American College of Neuro Psychopharmacology Award, the Global Genes RARE Champions of Hope Award, The Eunice and Sargent Shrive Profiles in Dignity Award, and the Pell Center Award for Best Story. In 2016 her alma mater Bates College awarded Lisa with a Humane Letter Honorary Doctorate. In the same year, she also received other awards from organizations such as the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, The Alzheimer’s Association. In 2017, she was invited by TED to give a talk on how to prevent Alzheimer’s, which became one of that year’s most popular TED talks with more than 2.5 million views. Ever since the publication of her critically acclaimed debut, Genova has become a much sought after public speaker on all manner of neurological diseases. She has been featured on the Diane Rehm Show, PBS News Hour, CNN, Dr. Oz, and The Today Show. She has also made an appearance on “To Not Fade Away” a documentary film that was a follow up to the 2009 film “Not Fade Away”, about a woman that experienced the onset of Alzheimer’s disease aged only 45.

“Still Alice” the first novel by Lisa Genova is a novel about a woman afflicted with early stage Alzheimer’s. Alice Howland the lead protagonist is a linguistics professor of world renowned teaching cognitive psychology at Harvard University. The 50-year old is wife to an equally world beating husband with whom she has three children. At 50, the disease comes from seemingly nowhere to change her relationship with the world and her family. The New York Times bestselling novel was later adapted into a film in 2014. “Left Neglected” is the story of a woman suffering from unilateral or hemispatial neglect typically referred to as left neglect. The illness is caused by a traumatic injury that means that the sufferer needs to adapt to a simpler life and adapt to neglected elements in the world, her family and herself. “Love Anthony” Lisa’s third novel is about an autistic boy named Anthony that cannot speak. The narrative tells of how an autistic person thinks, including how he interacts with important persons in his life. “Inside the O’briens” is a novel about the O’Brien family most of whom have been afflicted with inherited Huntington’s disease. In the award-winning novel, Lisa tells of how the disease impacts the relationships and lives of the members of the family.

“Still Alice” is an absorbing novel about a middle-aged woman who suddenly starts exhibiting signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Written by a Ph. D holder that is a specialist in the neuroscience field the novel offers an in-depth look into why persons may develop Alzheimer’s disease and how to deal with it. Alice Howland is a professor at Harvard University and also a happily married woman living with her family on the Cape. She has worked hard and is now at the peak of her career when she suddenly notices that she is becoming more forgetful than she had ever been. Her memory is failing and she is often inundated in a cloud of confusion forcing her to seek professional help. The diagnosis comes back and it is not good – she is in early stage Alzheimer’s. She has always been a fiercely independent woman, and as such tries hard to continue living her life as normal and maintain her lifestyle. But try as she might she knows that her sense of self is being lost to the disease. It is a tale that is terrifying, inspiring, and heartbreaking all at once, as the lead succinctly details how it feels to literally lose one’s mind.

“Left Neglected” is a novel about a 37-year-old woman named Sarah Nickerson who is involved in an automobile accident that leaves her with damage to the right hemisphere of the brain known as left neglect. The narrative is told in parts with the first quarter detailing her life before the accident and the rest after her illness. Before she became ill she had had a very active personal and professional life which is documented in the first part of the novel. In fact, she had gotten into an accident when she was absent-mindedly scrolling through her contacts while cruising down the highway. After some time spent in the hospital she comes out to have to learn to live with left neglect. Moreover, she comes to the realization that there were many aspects of her life that she had neglected before. She asks her husband to leave his job and move to a secluded house in Vermont where they can start over with brand new careers and lifestyles. The novel is a critique of suburban lifestyle that often leads to consumerism that often fuels overwork. The cycle often results in one neglecting important aspects of their personal lives.

One Response to “Lisa Genova”

1. Sue Hasenyager: 4 years ago

   I am so appreciative of the blend of science and art that Ms. Genova has employed in her writing. She has taken the “cold” facts of science and “warmed” the experiences her characters shared in life. She has portrayed the resilience of humanity who face extreme challenges when facing physical/mental health issues. Thank you for you for sharing your gifts and talents in such meaningful ways!

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