Lisa Genova facts for kids

Lisa Genova (born November 22, 1970) is an American scientist and author. She writes books about people dealing with brain conditions. Her first book, Still Alice (2007), was about a professor with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. This book became a movie in 2014. The actress Julianne Moore won an Academy Award for playing Alice in the film. Lisa Genova's other books, like Left Neglected, Love Anthony, and Inside the O'Briens, also became very popular.

About Lisa Genova's Life and Studies

Lisa Genova is a very smart person. She graduated with top honors from Bates College. There, she earned a degree in biopsychology. This field studies how the brain and body work together.

In 1998, she received her PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system, including the brain. She also did research at several important hospitals and universities. These included Massachusetts General Hospital and Yale Medical School. She even taught about the brain at Harvard Medical School.

Lisa Genova's Books and Writing Career

Lisa Genova writes fiction books. Her stories often focus on characters who are dealing with different brain conditions. She helps readers understand what these conditions might be like.

Her First Book: Still Alice

Her first novel, Still Alice, came out in 2007. It tells the story of Alice Howland. Alice is a 50-year-old professor at Harvard. She is an expert in language. Alice has a successful husband and three grown children.

The story shows how Alice's life changes quickly. She starts to suffer from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. This condition affects her memory and thinking. The book explores how the disease impacts Alice's family and her world.

Lisa Genova first published the book herself. Later, a big publisher, Simon & Schuster, bought it. Still Alice was on The New York Times best seller list for over a year. More than a million copies were printed. It was also translated into 26 different languages.

The book was made into a play in Chicago in 2013. In 2014, it became a movie. Julianne Moore played Alice in the film. She won an Academy Award for her amazing performance.

Left Neglected

Left Neglected was published in 2011. This book is about a woman who has a brain injury. The injury causes her to have "left neglect." This means she struggles to notice things on her left side.

As she tries to get better, she learns to live a simpler life. The story shows how she starts to heal. She pays attention to parts of her life she had "neglected." This includes her family and herself. This book also became a New York Times bestseller.

Love Anthony

Her third book, Love Anthony, came out in 2012. It is another New York Times bestseller. The main character is a boy named Anthony. He has autism and cannot speak.

The story helps readers understand what it might be like to have autism. It also shows how Anthony affects two women in the book. Love Anthony was chosen as a "Great Read" by People magazine.

Inside the O'Briens

Inside the O'Briens was published in 2015. This book is about the O'Brien family. Several family members have inherited Huntington's disease. This is a brain condition that runs in families.

The story shows how the disease affects their lives. It also explores their relationships with each other. This book was a New York Times bestseller.

Every Note Played

Every Note Played is Lisa Genova's fifth novel. It was released in 2018. The main character is a pianist. He finds out he has ALS. This is a serious disease that affects muscles. The book follows his journey as he lives with this diagnosis.

Non-fiction Books

Lisa Genova also writes non-fiction. Her book Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting came out in 2021. It explains how memory works. This book was also a New York Times bestseller.

Audiobooks

Many of Lisa Genova's books are available as audiobooks. She has even read some of them herself!

• 2009: Still Alice (read by Lisa Genova)
• 2015: Inside the O'Briens (read by Skipp Suddwith)
• 2018: Every Note Played (afterword read by Lisa Genova)
• 2021: Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting (read by Lisa Genova)

Awards and Special Honors

Lisa Genova has received many awards for her work. These awards recognize her writing and her efforts to teach people about brain conditions.

In 2015, she received the Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square. This award honors storytellers whose work helps public discussions. She also received the Sargent and Eunice Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award. This award is for people who help others understand Alzheimer's disease.

She won the Abe Burrows Entertainment Award for the film Still Alice. She also received the Global Genes RARE Champions of Hope Award. The Alzheimer's Association gave her the Rita Hayworth Award in 2016.

Lisa Genova also received an honorary degree from Bates College in 2016. This is a special award from her old college.

Lisa Genova's Personal Life

Lisa Genova was married and had a daughter in 2000. She started writing books full-time in 2004. This was after her divorce.