Jennifer Traig
Devil in the Details: Scenes From an Obsessive Girlhood (2004)
Author: Jennifer Traig
Genre (and subgenre): Non-fiction (Memoir)
Book Summary:
Jennifer Traig’s adolescent years were plagued by anorexia and an undiagnosed (and unknown at the time) obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her parents of different faiths agreed to raise her Jewish, and as she prepared for her bat mitzvah, Jennifer uncovered a world of rules, regulations, and rituals in Orthodox Judaism. Compelled to separate meat and dairy, as well as anything related to meat and dairy, her observance grew into a psychiatric disorder called scrupulosity (aka scruples). Unable to stop and increasingly inconveniencing and annoying her family, Jennifer recounts her struggles and ultimate victory in this hilarious and heart-breaking story of atypical teenage angst.
Geographical Setting: Northern Califorina
Time Period: Early 1980’s
Appeal Characteristics:
The reader is introduced to Jennifer’s problem in the first paragraph and instantly feels compassion for her. This first person narrative contains little dialogue, but the author frequently implores the reader directly, creating the sense of conversation with the reader. The story moves quickly as each chapter reveals a new level to the author’s problem; throughout the book, the reader gains a deeper connection with the author. While a majority of the book focuses on how Jennifer copes with scruples, significant attention is paid to how her disorder affects her parents and sister. The author brilliantly reveals the teen underneath the layers of her disorder, making her character identifiable to the reader. While a majority of readers may not share her affliction, her struggle for “finding herself” is ubiquitous. The reader both observes Jennifer in stressful encounters as well as identifies with her. Minor characters play an important role, and her primary care-giving mother is memorable. There is no story line other than the unfolding tale of a teen with obsessive compulsive disorder. Jennifer’s story is located primarily in Northern California in the early 1980’s, details critical to her plight as her town did not have a large Jewish community from which she could learn appropriate Jewish behavior, and neither OCD nor scruples were easily diagnosable or treatable at that time.
Read-alikes: Two memoirs of OCD include: Just Checking: Scenes From The Life Of An Obsessive-Compulsive by Emily Colas; and Passing For Normal: A Memoir Of Compulsion by Amy S. Wilensky. A Recovery From Addition: A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. Fiction with psychologically impaired characters: A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon; Matchstick Men by Eric Garcia.
Red Flags: Some profanity. Character’s disorders results in abuse of Jewish religious rituals.
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