David Schwinghammer's Blog - Posts Tagged "secrets"
Give Me Your Hand
The protagonist in GIVE ME YOUR HAND is Kit Owens, a post doctor working in a scientific lab run by Dr. Severin, one of the most respected woman scientists in America. Everybody, especially young women, want to work for her.
She has a new study in the works, and she must pick two of her best post docs to work on it with her; it's a plum assignment that can make your career. It's about PMDD, an especially severe form of PMS that has symptoms of mental illness, but can be tracked by using menstrual cycles.
Kit Owens is a leading candidate and generally considered the smartest and hardest working of the post docs. She's always at the lab before anyone else in the morning and the last to leave. But then along comes Diane Fleming, a beautiful young woman who was the valedictorian of Kit's high school class (Kit was salutatorian, thanks to Diane, who taught her how to study and have confidence in herself).
Diane transferred to Kit's public school as a senior from a Catholic school and Kit was her only “friend”. One night they tell each other the worst thing each has ever done. Kit is shocked and the relationship deteriorates until she sees Diane again, apparently the new favorite to get one of the PMDD positions.
Kit has a sort of teasing relationship with one of the other post docs, Alex, and one night they go out drinking together. They fall into bed together; Kit doesn't know for sure but she thinks she told Alex Diane's secret. Later he threatens to tell Dr. Severin what Diane did.
Ironically, Diane's problems have nothing to do with PMDD as the reader is led to believe. I did think she was one of Dr. Severin's earlier subjects, but apparently her menstrual cycle didn't line up. Diane begs Dr. Severin to take her as a subject; she knows there's something seriously wrong with her.
What's wrong with her is her parents, especially her mother who's a worse sociopath than Diane. Believe it or not, Kit's “secret” concerning the worst thing she's ever done just happens to have something to do with Diane's mother's new flame. Diane recognized him when Kit told her what she'd done. Diane tries to warn her mother, but her mother believes the boyfriend. Megan Abbott doesn't work hard enough to make this coincidence believable. It's as if she just expects us to believe it because of all the other weird things going on in that lab and the other horrible things that have happened where they really shouldn't. Also, Dr. Severin, a respected doctor takes somebody on as one of her principal researchers, who she knows has mental problems. Kit is so astonished by this that she asks her if she's sleeping with Diane. She just laughs it off, but the reader isn't sure.
There is a telling scene in the book where Kit's mother makes her go to a beauty parlor, along with Diane, to get dolled up for her graduation from high school. By then Diane is almost a member of the family. Anyway, years later, she remembers that as one of the happiest times of her life. The women close the shop and start dancing and singing; they're genuinely happy for the two girls. Diane had never had that sort of relationship with anyone.
She has a new study in the works, and she must pick two of her best post docs to work on it with her; it's a plum assignment that can make your career. It's about PMDD, an especially severe form of PMS that has symptoms of mental illness, but can be tracked by using menstrual cycles.
Kit Owens is a leading candidate and generally considered the smartest and hardest working of the post docs. She's always at the lab before anyone else in the morning and the last to leave. But then along comes Diane Fleming, a beautiful young woman who was the valedictorian of Kit's high school class (Kit was salutatorian, thanks to Diane, who taught her how to study and have confidence in herself).
Diane transferred to Kit's public school as a senior from a Catholic school and Kit was her only “friend”. One night they tell each other the worst thing each has ever done. Kit is shocked and the relationship deteriorates until she sees Diane again, apparently the new favorite to get one of the PMDD positions.
Kit has a sort of teasing relationship with one of the other post docs, Alex, and one night they go out drinking together. They fall into bed together; Kit doesn't know for sure but she thinks she told Alex Diane's secret. Later he threatens to tell Dr. Severin what Diane did.
Ironically, Diane's problems have nothing to do with PMDD as the reader is led to believe. I did think she was one of Dr. Severin's earlier subjects, but apparently her menstrual cycle didn't line up. Diane begs Dr. Severin to take her as a subject; she knows there's something seriously wrong with her.
What's wrong with her is her parents, especially her mother who's a worse sociopath than Diane. Believe it or not, Kit's “secret” concerning the worst thing she's ever done just happens to have something to do with Diane's mother's new flame. Diane recognized him when Kit told her what she'd done. Diane tries to warn her mother, but her mother believes the boyfriend. Megan Abbott doesn't work hard enough to make this coincidence believable. It's as if she just expects us to believe it because of all the other weird things going on in that lab and the other horrible things that have happened where they really shouldn't. Also, Dr. Severin, a respected doctor takes somebody on as one of her principal researchers, who she knows has mental problems. Kit is so astonished by this that she asks her if she's sleeping with Diane. She just laughs it off, but the reader isn't sure.
There is a telling scene in the book where Kit's mother makes her go to a beauty parlor, along with Diane, to get dolled up for her graduation from high school. By then Diane is almost a member of the family. Anyway, years later, she remembers that as one of the happiest times of her life. The women close the shop and start dancing and singing; they're genuinely happy for the two girls. Diane had never had that sort of relationship with anyone.
