May 2005    

Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood Author: Jennifer Traig Publisher: Little, Brown and Company $22.95 CLOTH (246 P.) ISBN: 0316158771 B&T         YBP Reviewed by Julie Marston, Bibliographer, Collection Management Services Jennifer Traig explores her adolescent scrupulosity, "a hyper-religious form of obsessive compulsive disorder", with a voice that is sometimes childlike and sometimes cynical reminiscence. Above all, she seems to have a great sense of humor about this period in her life. For example, she says "Every mental illness has its pros and cons, but for all-around appeal, you can't beat OCD. It's not as colorful as multiple personality disorder or as exhilarating as bipolarity, but for consistent amusement, it's your best bet." Jennifer suffered with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) throughout the 1980's, a time when little was known about the disease. Consequently, she not only dragged her family through her obsessions, but also through family therapy. They had to deal with her "quarantining" un-pure objects all over the house, which included anything that was purchased on a Saturday. Her behavior at meals was equally bizarre, as she tried in vain to separate anything with meat from anything with milk in an effort to keep Kosher. Her compulsion took form in her struggle with religious identity, coming from a family with a Catholic mother and Jewish father. She took the Jewish scriptural concepts of not mixing milk and meat, wool and linen, and the concept of a Kosher diet very seriously. Obsessive hand washing, purifying, praying, and anorexia made up her days as much as high school and after school activities. Between many chapters she includes "interstitial" passages, where she writes out the obsessive thought processes and list making that went through her mind while doing an ordinary activity such as washing her hands. "First, you need to get some water going. We want it hot, hot, hot! The hot-water tap is contaminated, but that's okay, because you're about to wash. Touch it again, just to show how brave you are. Touch it one more time. Three taps wards off bad things. Now we're ready to wash!" Because this book gives a highly amusing inside look at obsessive compulsive disorder, it is more recreational reading than an academic case study. Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.