Novels Now

Janeology
By Karen Harrington
Completed June 15, 2008

Nature versus nurture – it’s an old question and still a widely debatable one. Do genes rule our own impulses? Does one’s environment shape who we become?

It’s this theme that formed Karen Harrington’s debut novel, Janeology. In this book, Jane Nelson decided that she was “done being a mother” and drowned her twin children. Her daughter, Sarah, survived the incident, and Jane was declared insane and sent to a psychiatric facility. However, the state was not done pointing fingers, and they pursued criminal neglect charges against Jane’s husband, Tom, who the state contended saw Jane spiral out of control and did nothing about it.

Faced with a five-year prison sentence, Tom’s attorney, Dave, wanted to build a case that focused on Jane’s genetic make-up and family history. In essence, nature and nurture underpinned Jane’s actions.

Little was known about Jane’s past, though, and Dave employed a clairvoyant, Mariah, to help them rebuild Jane’s lineage. Mariah was able to channel Jane’s parents, grandparents and great-grandparents – each telling a story where parents failed to protect their children, neglected their families and even committed crimes.

When I started to read Janeology, I was expecting a John Grisham-like court drama. Instead, this book focused on the stories that make up family histories and how our circumstances often affect our decisions as we get older. The appearance of the clairvoyant was a little far-reaching for my taste, but once I suspended a level of disbelief about Mariah, I was wrapped up in each family member’s tale.

As a parent, I found some of Harrington’s words very resonating: “ There was no gene that made one fit for parenting. One couldn’t assume that the instinct to protect exists in every individual, not if they haven’t been protected themselves.” (page 224). This very thought buttressed Tom’s entire defense.

Karen Harrington’s writing style was easy and engaging, and she toggled a hot-button issue with great objectivity. She drew her characters, including Jane, into several lights so you can gain a better perspective of each one. I look forward to reading more of Harrington’s books – she’s a promising young writer with a great gift for storytelling. ( )