Claire's Head

Claire's Head
By: Catherine Bush
McClelland & Stewart; www.mcclelland.com

Claire and her sister, Rachel, have suffered from debilitating migraines since they were children - living a life filled with dark rooms, addictive (and unreliable) medication and intense pain. When Claire discovers that Rachel has been missing for over a month, she embarks on a cross-continent search for her - despite discouragement from her boyfriend and middle sister, Alison. Along the way, Claire must finally confront the fact that the worsening pain she shares with her sister may finally have pushed Rachel over the edge.

Read this if you: Have ever experienced the pounding relentlessness of a migraine.

Don't read this if you: Have a headache. Bush's unyielding descriptions of agonizing, excruciating migraines may provoke pain in your own head.

The mood you need to be in: Healthy and calm - so you can ward off a headache of your own. Serious - so you can enjoy the story's mystery.

What you should be snacking on: A tall glass of cold water and two aspirins.

Read it while you're: Alone in a quiet room on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

The best part: Rachel's heartbreaking account of how unbearable, desperate pain led her to give up custody of her only child.

Other books on your nightstand: What Your Doctor May Not Tell Your About Migraines by Alexander Mauskop, M.D; Life of Pi by Yann Martel (for a similarly intense read).

In a nutshell: The intriguing mystery aspect of the novel is outweighed by the scientific descriptions of migraines. The writing could have been tightened up to quicken pacing. If Bush had focused more on Rachel's inner agony at losing her child, and ultimately, her will to live - rather than the clinical descriptions of headache pain - the novel would have been much more effective.

By: Christine Geddes