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Автор Лайза Дженова

LEFT NEGLECTED

ALSO BY LISA GENOVA

Still Alice

Gallery Books

A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, Ny 10020

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Gallery Books hardcover edition January 2011

GALLERY BOOKS and colophon are trademarks of

Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Genova, Lisa.

Left neglected : a novel / Lisa Genova — 1st gallery books hardcover ed.

P. cm.

1. Life change events—Fiction. 2. Self-realization in women—Fiction. 3. Brain—Wounds and injuries—Patients—Fiction. 4. Psychological fiction. I. Title.

PS3607. E55L44 2011

813’. 6—dc22

2010025568

ISBN 978-1-4391-6463-1

ISBN 978-1-4391-6467-9 (ebook)

For Chris and Ethan

PROLOGUE

I think some small part of me knew I was living an unsustainable life. Every now and then, it would whisper, Sarah, please slow down. You don’t need all this. You can’t continue like this. But the rest of me, powerful, smart, and determined to achieve, achieve, achieve, wasn’t hearing a word of it. If, once in a while these kinds of thoughts did manage to wiggle into my consciousness, I shushed them, scolded them, and sent them to their room. Quiet, little voice, can’t you see I have a million things to do?

Even my dreams began tapping me on the shoulder, trying to grab my attention. Do you even know what you’re doing? Let me show you. But each dream was elusive upon waking, and like a slimy fish captured in my bare hands, it slipped out and swam away before I could get a good look at it. Strange that I can remember them all now. In the nights just before the accident, I think my dreams were trying to wake me up. With all that has happened, I honestly believe that they were guidance sent from a spiritual source. Messages from God. And I ignored them. I guess I needed something less fleeting and more concrete.

Like a traumatic smack to the head.

CHAPTER 1

Survivors, ready?”

Jeff, the distractingly handsome host of the reality television game show, smiles, stretching out the wait, knowing he’s making us crazy.