Devil in the Details: Scenes of an Obsessive Girlhood by Jennifer Traig

Devil in the Details: Scenes of an Obsessive Girlhood by Jennifer Traig

Intended Audience: Adults

In this painful and humorous memoir, Jennifer Traig provides the reader with a first hand account of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and how it impacts both an individual and her family. Traig, the child of a religiously mixed marriage (Reformed Jewish father and Catholic mother) decides at an early age that she is an Orthodox Jew.

Despite the fact that her family is nonpracticing or perhaps in reaction, her efforts toward piety become a major facet of her OCD. Scrupulosity is a term used to describe OCD expressed by religious rituals and Traig's accounts illustrate this excellently. The reader is given an education in the history of scrupulosity and how hard it is to treat. Traig also suffered from other compulsions, including hair pulling and eating disorders.

Although at times somewhat overwhelming, Traig infuses the narrative with a sense of the absurd. Her parents' ability to remain balanced seems a miracle. The story ends on a positive note with Traig facing her anxieties and working toward a more normal life. This book is recommended for anyone who is interested in mental illness.

The Kewanee Public Library has one copy of Devil in the Details in Adult Biography.

Reviewed by Jill Gray
Kewanee Public Library
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