More Than It Hurts You / by Darin Strauss

David Strauss received lots of attention for his two previous novels, Chang and Eng; The Real McCoy, both of which were fictional recreations of notably curious historical figures. His latest, the more contemporary and less lighthearted More Than It Hurts You, is a rather somber testimony on the subtle ways in which preconception and prejudice are still active in society.



Josh Goldin is a can-do man. All his life he's been the guy who could do anything he put his mind to. Now a successful salesman for a large marketing firm, he's sure that his life can't get any better with his beautiful wife Dori loyally by his side and their infant son, Zach, growing up before their eyes. But even if things weren't so good, Josh knows he's capable of fixing it. So when he and Dori's parenting skills are called into question and the right to raise their own child is jeopardized, Josh takes the steps he feels are necessary to protect his portion of the American dream, even if it might end up costing him everything.

Dr. Darlene Stokes is a the head of pediatrics at a large city hospital. A physician of extraordinary skill as well as a professional of unquestioned integrity, Darlene has never made a wrong diagnosis . . . and she knows this time is no exception. Having attended Zach Goldin after he was twice brought to the emergency room exhibiting life-threatening symptoms, Darlene is prompted to make a difficult decision, one that involves accusing the Goldins--Dori in particular--of harming their own son. Darlene knows she's putting everything at risk, everything; including her own reputation, the hospital's image, the profession's credibility and--most of all--the life she'd worked so hard to create for herself. But she also knows her concluding analysis is correct and that no matter how threatening the situation to herself may be, her professional ethics and the well-being of the infant patient demand she come forward with her convictions.

While it's in no way perfect and definitely not as fun as 'Real McCoy', Strauss's More Than It Hurts You is a book which won't be soon forgotten, if only for its intimate portrayal socio-economic bias and underhanded media exploitation. While the book's characterization of both Josh and Darlene is thoroughly comprehensive, the story leaves (perhaps intentionally) some questionable loose ends concerning both, prompting the reader to contemplate whether each's actions were really as conducive to the outcome as Strauss would have you believe. Darlene is the book's most solid character and while sympathy is clearly intended more towards her circumstances, it doesn't necessarily convince the reader that Josh's actions are wholly unjustified, just as the media frenzy and its ensuing victimization of Darlene's not altogether believable. (FIC STRAUSS)