Kathy Prendergast answers “Does anyone have thoughts on the modern...”

Michelle Barraclough asked this question about The Good People:

Does anyone have thoughts on the modern name for the illness that afflicted Micheal in this novel? I read through some of the references Hannah Kent put at the end of the novel and came up with 'hypothyroidism'. Just curious if I'm right or if Hannah herself has talked about it anywhere?

Kathy Prendergast Judging from the fact that the child appeared healthy and normal and developed normally in the first couple of years of his life, I had the impression…moreJudging from the fact that the child appeared healthy and normal and developed normally in the first couple of years of his life, I had the impression he may have had some kind of degenerative genetic disorder, like the one that affected the little boy in the film Lorenzo`s Oil...there was of course absolutely no scientific explanation for those kinds of rare tragedies back then so I`m sure when they happened they sometimes gave rise to superstitions about things like fairies and changelings.(less)

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