Review and Giveaway: 'Janeology' by Karen Harrington

Janeology
By Karen Harrington
ISBN-10: 160164020X
ISBN-13: 978-1601640208
Hardcover, 256 pages
April 1, 2008
Kunati
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams


It is always a shock to the world when a story about a mother murdering her own children breaks news headlines. For most people, it is beyond comprehension how a parent could perform such an act. In Janeology, Karen Harrington's psychological suspense novel, the author delves into the history of a killer, lending fuel to the nature versus nurture debate.

The catalyst of the story could have been pulled straight from those headlines: Jane Nelson, compassionate nurse, loving wife, and mother to beautiful fraternal twins, one day snaps and attempts to drown her own children. But was that snap so sudden? Or had Jane been building up to this burst of insanity over a period of time? Could Jane's husband have prevented her heinous crime by noticing her mental descent? The prosecution would like to prove the latter, in an attempt to place blame on the twins' father, Tom. They would like the jury to believe that Simon Nelson died because of a husband's unassuming neglect. Jane has already been found not guilty by reason of insanity and locked away in an institution, but Tom's freedom remains in jeopardy.

Throughout the novel, we never see the crime from Jane's perspective. Most of the novel is narrated by Tom, in the midst of a self-absorbed, alcoholic binge. Tom is constantly doubting his own innocence, wondering if there was really something he could have done to prevent the tragedy. The knowledge that he still has the surviving twin, Sarah, to take care of is the only thing keeping him afloat.

Tom's attorney, Dave, is determined to prove his client's innocence despite his self-destructive tendencies. When he shows up at Tom's doorstep with an unconventional guest, Tom has the rare privilege of taking a journey into his wife's past. The guest, a lady named Mariah, has the gift of retro-cognition. She is able to sense an object's history by holding it, and begins traveling back through generations of Jane's ancestors to establish a pattern of mental illness. This is Dave's defense, that Jane was predisposed to the insanity that fueled her actions, thus Tom could have never forseen the catastrophe that befell his family.

As Mariah delves into Jane's past, a portrait of the woman materializes. Generations of instability pepper an informal family tree. Janeology will force the reader to question their own concept of reality, scrutinizing past associations, questioning the impact an individual person or event can make upon a person's life. The truth is that we never really know the people who move in and out of our lives, even those closest to us. Emotional scars are not always visible.

In the end, it's up to the reader to ascertain Tom's guilt or innocence. No matter what the jury decides, the verdict remains a matter of perspective. Years later, the family continues to struggle with the legacy they never knew existed. Anyone could have prevented the death of little Simon, yet no one could. Karen Harrington has created a stimulating novel for readers who enjoy peeling back the layers of the psyche and questioning reality. It's a prompt to pull out those old photographs and wonder where your history really lies, and a push to be more attentive to loved ones. Does the potential for homicide reside within us all?

Q & A with Karen Harrington, author of Janeology


When did you decide you wanted to become an author? Do you have another job besides writing?

It was a dark and stormy night. No? Well, I wish it had been. It wasn’t that mysterious when I decided to write. I really can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing stories or making up plays with my siblings. And I’ve always been fortunate to write for a living. Most of my corporate gigs – from receptionist to speechwriter – involved lots of written communications. Besides writing, I am a full-time domestic diva.


What inspired you to write this particular story?

Two things really jump started the writing of Janeology. First, I have a passion for genealogy, mostly because I never knew any of my grandparents. I had their pictures and many of their belongings. All my life, I looked at these things and thought, “What if these pictures could talk? What if this necklace could tell me something about my grandmother?” So I wanted to write about a character from the perspective of her genealogy.

And second, as a new mother myself, I wondered how mothers of previous generations handled the everyday stresses of caretaking. At the same time, I could not ignore the headlines about mothers who kill. What would make a mother take the life of her own child? This question wouldn’t let go of me. I wrote this book, in part, because it seems to me that this grim story is a recurring issue in American society today. Thus, Janeology is a cautionary tale about one man achieving an understanding about his wife, despite it being too late to reverse her deeds.


How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Stream-of-consciousness writing? Did you write an outline?

I first wrote a short story about Jane at the age of nine. I wanted to be a “fly on the wall” to a pivotal day in her childhood that altered the course of her life. After writing that story, I decided to write about her as an adult. Then, I began wondering about Jane’s mother and father and so on. Before long, I had a string of stories about her ancestors that really formed the first draft of the book.

From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?

The process took several years, mainly because I had two other productions working (read: I had two children) during the time I was writing Janeology.

Would you say you are disciplined writer?

I think I am. I was a speechwriter for most of my 9 to 5 career. That role requires that you sit down and leap into the page within minutes. I was always writing on deadline. I think that experience was a God-send for a fiction writer. I don’t have a writing schedule now, but when I sit down to write, I can.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?

No. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I think it’s writer’s fear – fear of being perfect. Sometimes I wish I suffered from perfection. Writer’s I know who are perfectionists are spectacular when they write, but sometimes limited in what they produce. If I have something I want to write about, I can’t wait to get it on the page. I subscribe to the advice my writing professor told me. Use the BIC method. Bum In Chair. You can always write a sentence or two if you are in your writing chair.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Yes, I would love for everyone to stop by www.karenharringtonbooks.com to say hello, read an excerpt of Janeology, read my blog or view the haunting trailer for the book. Let me know what you think!

And now for the giveaway! Would you like to read this book?

Leave me a comment by Sunday, November 30. I'll draw a winner the following Monday.

Subscribe to Breeni Books email updates for a second entry. Current subscribers are also eligible. Just be sure to leave a comment, letting me know you're on the list.

Blog about this giveaway for a third entry.

Open to US residents. Winner will be notified via email and must respond with mailing information by the following Friday. Failure to respond will result in a new winner being chosen.

Good luck!