First published 2000
Bill Chalmers feels his body betraying him. The successful businessman notices numbness creeping through his limbs while his memory begins to fail in frightening ways. What starts as minor forgetfulness becomes something far more alarming. He cannot remember familiar faces or recall basic information that once came naturally. The numbness spreads relentlessly, claiming more of his physical self each day. Bill throws himself into finding answers, consulting doctors and specialists who offer no clear explanations. His pursuit of a diagnosis becomes desperate as the symptoms worsen. The illness strips away not just his physical capabilities but threatens the very essence of who he is. Bill must confront what happens when the mind and body can no longer be trusted, when identity itself becomes uncertain.
Genres: literary-fiction, medical, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: medical-mystery, unreliable-narrator
384 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon
Content warnings: medical-trauma, mental-illness