Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood
Description
In this darkly humorous memoir, Jennifer Traig chronicles her struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder during her adolescence in the 1970s, offering an unflinching yet compassionate look at the rituals and anxieties that consumed her from age twelve through her freshman year at Brandeis University. Through witty, often laugh-out-loud observations, Traig paints an intimate portrait of her well-meaning Jewish family as they navigate her increasingly bizarre compulsions with patience and bewilderment. The narrative captures the peculiar intersection of religious devotion, teenage self-consciousness, and mental illness, exploring how obsession shaped her identity and relationships during formative years. With remarkable honesty and self-deprecating humor, Traig transforms a deeply personal struggle into a compelling story about the gap between how we appear to the world and the invisible battles we wage within ourselves. This is a poignant yet entertaining account of growing up different, seeking control in an uncontrollable world, and ultimately finding freedom through understanding.
Available Editions
paperback
Back Bay Books
Published Feb 9, 2006
272 pages
ISBN: 9780316010740
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Details
First Published
2004
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood by Jennifer Traig.